By Kylie Stevens for Daily Mail Australia and Michael Ramsey in Perth for the Australian Associated Press
The man who abducted Cleo Smith from a remote campsite 18 months ago has been sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.
Terence Darrell Kelly, 37, pleaded guilty last year to violently kidnapping a child under the age of 16. He kidnapped the four-year-old girl and held her captive for 18 days.
Kelly snapped Cleo out of a tent on October 16, 2021 as she slept with her mother and stepfather at Blowholes campsite near Carnarvon, some 960km north of Perth.
“There are no truly comparable cases that can help determine the length of a sentence,” Chief Justice Julie Wager said.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon were seen at WA District Court in Perth on Wednesday.
It was the first time the couple has been spotted since they were interviewed by 60 Minutes last year.
Kelly, who sat silently in the dock in a green shirt, is eligible for parole after 11 years and six months.
His sentence is backdated to his arrest in November 2021 and faces up to 20 years in prison.
Cleo’s mother Ellie Smith and stepfather Jake Gliddon arrive at WA District Court in Perth on Wednesday for the sentencing for the man who kidnapped the little girl in October 2021
Terence Darrell Kelly (centre), 37, pleaded guilty last year to violently kidnapping a child under the age of 16
Judge Wager described the fear, distress and trauma inflicted on Cleo and her parents as “immeasurable.”
“Eighteen days with no contact or explanation and hours completely alone and with no access to the outside world would have been very traumatic,” she said.
“In a four-year-old’s world, a day is a very long time. In the world of a four-year-old, 18 days really is a very, very long time.”
Cleo was reported missing on October 16, 2021. She had lived with her family at the remote Blowholes campsite, some 600 miles north of Perth.
Cleo’s mother woke up early in the morning to find Cleo missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation.
The WA government announced a $1 million reward for information leading to Cleo’s whereabouts or the arrest and conviction of anyone involved in her disappearance.
Cleo was found by police alone in a room in a property in nearby Carnarvon on November 3, 18 days after she was reported missing.
The dramatic rescue and Cleo’s confirmation of her name was captured on an officer’s body-worn camera and subsequently made headlines around the world.
Kelly was taken into custody the same day and later charged.
Earlier this year he was fined after admitting to obstructing police officers at a regional station following his arrest.
Mum Ellie Smith (pictured with Cleo and partner Jake Gliddon) woke up early this morning to find four-year-old Cleo Smith missing from the family tent, sparking a major police investigation
Cleo was reported missing on October 16, 2021. She had lived with her family at the remote Blowholes campsite (pictured) about 600 miles north of Perth
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