A man who killed his great niece by hitting her with a garden hoe while she was in her grandmother's arms has been jailed for 34 years.
Fernando Cristiano Grapp claims he was half blind from his diabetes when he hit out at his sister, and had not meant to hit the baby.
The incident took place at the family home in the city of Navegantes, in southern Brazil, in February of 2018.
The Criminal Court of Navegantes heard the argument was so run of the mill the defendant, 43, couldn't even remember what it was about.
Grapp did recall, however, wanting his sister, who was carrying her 19-month-old grandchild Laura Cecilia Bitencourt, to come into the family home.
When she came close, he was so angry that he tried to hit her with the wooden handle from the garden hoe, but hit the baby in the head instead.
Laura was taken to the Pequeno Anjo Hospital, in Itajai municipality, where she was pronounced dead soon after.
Fernando said he never meant to hurt or kill his niece and rejected the charges of aggravated murder and attempted murder, but was found guilty regardless.
After his conviction, he was transported to Canhanduba Penitentiary - a prison in the Vale do Itajai region - where he is set to serve his sentence.
Outside the court hearing, family members of little Laura wore T-shirts and banners calling for justice.
Grapp was sentenced to 24 years in jail for the murder of his great niece and 10 more for the attempted murder of his sister - Laura's grandmother - who was not named.
The hearing was initially scheduled for 2020 but it had to be postponed due to the Covid pandemic, according to local media.
