WARNING: CONFRONTING DETAILS
The man charged with being an accessory to the murder of Kiesha Abrahams could be freed from prison as early as April.
Robert Smith is currently serving a maximum 16-year sentence for manslaughter and being an accessory to the murder of the six-year-old girl.
Kristi Abrahams, Keisha’s mother and Smith’s then-girlfriend, was convicted of her murder.
The couple were both jailed in 2013.
Smith will be eligible for parole as of April 21 following a meeting held on February 17 at which the NSW State Parole Authority (SPA) “formed an intention to grant parole”.
The decision was made with consideration of the reports and expert advice of the Serious Offenders Review Council and Community Corrections.
“Inmate Robert Smith will appear before the State Parole Authority at a public review hearing on 4 April 2023,” the SPA said.
“Submissions by the victim’s family and the State may be provided to the SPA at this time for consideration ahead of a parole determination.”
The couple attempted to cover up Kiesha’s death in 2010 after her mother knocked her unconscious for refusing to put on her pyjamas.
Kiesha was later put to bed where she died.
Her body was subsequently hidden in a suitcase by Abrahams and Smith for several days before she was taken to bushland in Sydney’s outer west.
She was covered in petrol and set alight, before being buried in a shallow grave dug with a hammer.
The couple made emotional appeals to the public upon Abrahams reporting Kiesha missing, sparking widespread searches of Sydney’s western suburbs.
Police arrested the couple eight months later, after suspicions around their story led to a protracted murder investigation.
Smith was jailed for a minimum of 12 years and Abrahams for a minimum of 16 years.
“A final parole decision will not be made until the Authority considers all the available information before it, including any Submissions that may be made at the review hearing,” the SPA said.
The SPA will accept submissions from Kiesha’s family and the state government during Smith’s public hearing on April 4, after which point a decision will be made.
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