A Melbourne mother’s worst fears have been confirmed after a Supreme Court jury found her then-boyfriend guilty of murdering her toddler son in a bout of frustration four years ago.

Just one hour after leaving home for a cleaning job in 2019, Stacie Saggers, already on edge, knew something wasn’t right.

She had texted her new live-in boyfriend, Brendan Pallant, multiple times asking for an update on her two-year-old son, Jaidyn Gomes-Sebastiao, who she’d put down for a nap before leaving.

She couldn’t get a direct response however, so she began asking friends for a lift home, saying it was “urgent”.

Ms Saggers had cause to worry, Jaidyn had been injured twice in the past four days – leaving him with large bruises to his face and his right eye swollen shut.

Despite this, she said Jaidyn was his “happy little self”.

The injuries occurred while she left Jaidyn in Pallant’s care, but were explained away as accidents caused by the young child pulling down white cube storage shelves – used as bookcases – onto himself in his bedroom.

Shortly after 4pm on September 2, 2019, Ms Saggers’ worst fears were confirmed as Jaidyn’s lifeless body was discovered face down on his bedroom floor.

Following a five-week trial, on Tuesday afternoon a Supreme Court jury found Pallant had murdered Jaidyn in what prosecutors called a “short but profound period of stress and frustration”.

He had pleaded not guilty, with his barrister, Rishi Nathwani, arguing the investigation had been coloured by prejudice from the start and pointing to Ms Saggers as another possible culprit not taken seriously by police.

An autopsy later determined Jaidyn died from complex brain injuries caused by a “moderate to severe” blunt force impact to his head.

Forensic pathologist Dr Michael Burke, who conducted the autopsy, told the trial the “extensive” injuries observed were unlikely to be caused by an accident.

“I believe it’s due to an assault,” he said.

Prosecutors, led by Mark Gibson KC, told the jury Pallant entered Jaidyn’s bedroom sometime between 12.26pm and 2.47pm, pulling the child by the hair and assaulting him.

The fatal blow was struck with the metal leg of a table, usually situated adjacent to the bedroom door.

Pallant then left Jaidyn, who survived for “tens of minutes”, alone, only to feign horror at the discovery shortly after 4pm.

“There was a short but profound period of loss of control, frustration and anger that resulted in Jaidyn’s death,” Mr Gibson said.

He urged the jury to find Pallant was responsible for the earlier injuries and had staged the room to make it look like an accident.

“The crown says it is no coincidence the injuries were appearing at a time when Mr Pallant was experiencing personal upset and stress,” he said.

“He’s orchestrated a scenario to explain away the injury.”

Mr Nathwani had argued investigators were “blinkered” by preconceived ideas, and believed his client was guilty from the start.

They ignored, he argued, the possibility Ms Saggers struck out and accidentally killed Jaidyn in “profound loss of self control” prior to leaving for work.

He said the evidence showed her methamphetamine addiction was spiralling out of control and she had mounting financial pressures hanging over her head.

“It was Jaidyn that was the problem because she couldn't get people to look after him,” he said.

Mr Nathwani argued, on the evidence, Pallant had been the one to attempt CPR after Jaidyn’s body was discovered and did not have a motive.

But Mr Gibson argued, and the jury accepted, that explanation “doesn’t make sense”.

“If anything, we submit to you, this is just another day in the sort of chaotic life Ms Saggers lived in,” he said.

“We say September 2 was just like any other day, it was not a catalyst for something as heinous as this.”

Pallant was remanded into custody and will return before the Supreme Court at a later date.

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