William Tyrrell’s former foster parents found guilty of intimidating different child

William Tyrrell’s former foster parents have been found guilty of intimidating another child in their care, but cleared of a slew of other domestic violence allegations.

In a hearing at Sydney’s Downing Centre on Friday, magistrate Susan McIntyre found the former foster mother – who cannot be legally identified – guilty of intimidating the child on two occasions, including threatening to slap them.

Prosecutors relied on more than 1,000 hours of covert recordings made in the couple’s home and vehicles over a period of 14 months in 2020 and 2021 by detectives investigating William’s disappearance.

Three-year-old William went missing while playing at his foster grandmother’s home in Kendall on the New South Wales mid-north coast on 12 September 2014.

The former foster mother also earlier pleaded guilty to assaulting the child on two occasions in January and October 2021, striking her with a wooden spoon and kicking her on the thigh while she was sitting on the floor during a time out.

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