'I saved school pal from suicide - but years later he murdered my ten-month-old baby'

Grief-stricken Casey Veal has told how her baby's killer Harley Hicks was a former friend whom she had once "taken under her wing"

Killer: Harley Hicks is serving a life sentence for beating a baby to death with a copper wire baton

A heartbroken mum has told how a former schoolfriend she once saved from suicide went on to brutally murder her baby son.

Vile Harley Hicks is serving a life sentence after he broke into Casey Veal's home before savagely beating ten-month-old Zayden to death in his cot.

Hicks has never given any real motive for the horrific killing, and the tragedy is all the more difficult for mum Casey to accept as the 21-year-old had once been considered a friend.

Tragic: Zayden Veal-Whitting was beaten to death by burglar Harley Hicks

For the first time Miss Veal, has revealed how she was friends with her son’s killer while they were at school in Bendigo, Australia.

She said: "When I realised who the monster was, I wished I had never taken him under my wing all those years ago."

She continued: "My friends and I saw him in the playground and he looked like a bit of a loner. He was a couple of years younger than us but we took him under our wings.

"He told us the kids in his class picked on him mercilessly.

"So we would go and find him at lunch and take time to see how he was doing.

"He once told us he wanted to kill himself but we persuaded him not to do anything silly.

"When he said he wanted to kill himself, I remember telling him, ‘you don’t want to think like that – nothing is ever that bad’

Casey and Zayden, new born — Heartbroken: Casey Veal says Hicks has given her "no answers" as to why he killed her baby

"I knew hard times because my dad, Ricky, had passed away when I was just 10, but I was a firm believer in looking to the future."

She said one day he vanished from school.

She continued: "After about six months he left and I never saw him again.

"I hoped he’d be happier wherever he was and, in time, I all but forgot about him."

But in June 2012, Hicks, then 19, broke into Miss Veal's home and beat her baby more than 30 times with a copper wire baton.

Miss Veal and her other son Xavier, now five, were asleep. Xavier saw his baby brother’s broken body in his cot.

Earlier this week Hicks’ lawyers appealed for his life sentence with a minimum of 32 years for murder, aggravated burglary and theft to be reduced.

Hicks’ barrister David Hallowes told the Court of Appeal in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia, his sentence should be reduced because the killing was “spontaneous and impulsive” and because of his young age.

Xavier & Zayden — Trauma: Xavier saw his young brother Zayden's broken body in his cot

But Justice David Ashley said he disagreed. Miss Veal said she was pleased with the decision to reject the appeal.

“Zayden was an infant, (who) never learnt to walk, let alone have a first birthday,” she said.

“He is crying about never being accepted into society as an adult, but my son never got to be an adult.”

On June 15, 2012, Miss Veal put Zayden to bed as normal.

“I said, ‘Love you mini me’,” she recalled. “I put him in his crib with his favourite white teddy bear.”

She went to bed as normal but at 6am she heard Xavier saying, “doors open, doors open”.

Miss Veal called the police, thinking she had been burgled, then went to get Zayden.

“As I walked to the nursery things didn’t seem right,” she said. “ The baby monitor was pulled out the wall.

Visiting Zayden's grave — Remembered: Casey visiting little Zayden's grave

“Zayden’s favourite teddy was in the middle of the floor.

“I pulled back the blanket and I froze in horror.

“The blanket was pulled up tight over his head.

“Underneath his face was a bloody mess. I tried to revive him but it was impossible.

“Xavier was by the door.

“He had seen too much.”

Zayden was declared dead by the time he arrived at hospital.

“I was meant to keep him safe. I felt so guilty,” Miss Veal said.

While the police searched for the killer, Xavier was removed from the family home - another blow for the already grieving mother.

“I was told it was just a precaution but it was heartbreaking,” she said.

It was a few months before Hicks was arrested and Xavier returned home.

Harley Hicks, then 19, of Bendigo, admitted the burglary of several local properties that night - including a car parked just opposite the house.

He denied killing Zayden.

Harley Hicks in police custody — Appeal: Harley Hicks was sentenced to 32 years in prison for the horrific murder

However, a police search of Hicks' home found Miss Veal’s boyfriend’s wallet and a make-shift weapon.

The baton – made of copper wire and electrical tape – had Hicks’ and Zayden’s DNA on it.

Miss Veal said she will never know why her son died.

“He has never given us an explanation,” she said. “I died that day as well as Zayden but I have to keep going. When Xavier asks me why his brother died, I have no answers.

“But I can't believe that evil lurks round every corner. My boy brought us such love.

“I refuse to let Hicks turn that into hate.”