| Harley Hicks guilty of baby’s murder during Bendigo burglary |
 A 21-year-old man has been found guilty of murdering a baby during a burglary in central Victoria. Harley Hicks bashed 10-month-old Zayden Veal-Whitting to death in Long Gully, a suburb of Bendigo, in 2012.
A jury found Hicks broke into the Veal-Whitting house in the middle of the night and when Zayden stirred he used a homemade baton to bludgeon him more than 25 times.
Justice Stephen Kaye said it was an "appalling, brutal murder of a young baby".
There were 11 burglaries and thefts from homes and cars in the neighbourhood that night.
Hicks told police he had been high on the drug ice and admitted to some of the break-ins.
But Hicks consistently denied going into the Veal-Whitting house and killing the baby.
"As I said to you in the car all the way here I had nothing to do with that, absolutely nothing," Hicks told police in an interview after the murder.
However, raids of Hicks' home uncovered items stolen from the Long Gully house, as well as the baton used in the murder.
Forensic tests found DNA matching the profile of both the baby and the accused.
Hicks's lawyer had argued someone else, including Hicks's twin brother Ashley, could have been responsible for the death.
Hicks has also been found guilty of aggravated burglary and two counts of theft.
The baby's family made no comment outside court after the verdict was handed down.
Hicks will return to court next month for pre-sentence submissions.
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