West Gate Bridge child killer Arthur Freeman hospitalised after alleged maximum prison bashing
Arthur Freeman, the depraved father who threw his four year old daughter off the West Gate Bridge to her death, has been brutally attacked inside a maximum security prison.
Depraved West Gate Bridge child killer Arthur Freeman, the man who threw his four-year-old child off the top of Melbourne’s tallest bridge to her death, has been brutally bashed inside a maximum security prison.
Freeman, who is now 54, was attacked by another inmate at the Western Plains Correctional Centre, just west of Geelong.
The child killer became an infamous criminal in Australia in 2009 after he threw his four-year-old daughter, Darcey, to her death.
Sign up to The Nightly's newsletters.
Get the first look at the digital newspaper, curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox.
By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.
The crime, which took place on what would have been Darcey’s first day of school, shocked the nation. Devastating details about the innocent young child’s death were made public as Freeman was put on trial.
Freeman, according to witnesses, took his daughter out of the car and threw her over the safety railing of the West Gate Bridge as if he was “going to the post office”.
Freeman had recently had his visitation rights reduced, and in the moments of the horrific murder, told his ex-wife over the phone that she would never see her daughter again.
In the car with Freeman and Darcey were her two brothers.
At Freeman’s criminal trial, evidence was heard stating that one of her brothers pleaded for his dad to go back and get his sister because she couldn’t swim.
On Wednesday, Freeman was the alleged victim of a brutal attack.
“Corrections Victoria staff responded quickly to an incident between two prisoners at Western Plains Correctional Centre shortly before midday today (Wednesday),” a Department of Justice and Community Safety spokeswoman told the Herald Sun.
“One prisoner was taken to hospital for further assessment. No other prisoners or staff were injured.”
The incident is rare.
Freeman, likely due to the hideous nature of his depraved crime, is understood to live in relative isolation at the maximum security prison.
He was reportedly involved in an incident back in 2011, shortly after his conviction, where he bit an officer who attempted to break up a scuffle.
Freeman was found guilty and sentenced to life, with a 32 minimum year sentence by Justice Phillip Coghlan, who implied he may have preferred total non-parole.
“You used your daughter to hurt your former wife as profoundly as possible. You chose a place remarkably public and would have the most dramatic impact,” Justice Coghlan said.
“I understand that many will say that your crime is so serious in so many respects that I should not impose a non-parole period.
“That is, you deserve to be locked away for ever.
“I see the attractiveness of that argument, but the sentencing process is not as simple as that.”
