By Michael Morrah
For months Matthew Ellery denied he had anything to do with the death of six-month-old Serenity Jay Scott-Dinnington.
Today he was in court charged with her murder.
The 21-year-old unemployed former boyfriend of the baby's mother, has been remanded in custody.
Serenity died after being seriously injured in a house in Ngaruawahia in April last year.
It was a lengthy nine-month investigation, but this afternoon Mathew Ellery was led into the dock accused of murdering Serenity.
"It's been a long inquiry and it's now resolved in terms of that part of the inquiry, so that's very pleasing for us," says Det Snr Sgt Mark Greene.
Ellery isn't the biological father of Serenity, but lived with the infant and his mother, Chelsea Scott, in Ngarawhahia.
The six-month-old was taken to hospital with severe brain injuries. Last year Ellery said he wasn't responsible for her death.
"If we were guilty… we wouldn't be keeping in contact with police," he said.
"All I want to know is that my daughter gets justice and the person who did it gets found," said Ms Scott.
Yesterday, police caught up with the couple again - only this time Ellery was arrested and charged.
Ms Scott didn't want to comment after Ellery's appearance in court.
The death of Serenity provoked outrage in the small community of Ngarawahia and around the country.
Cherie Kurarangi-Sweeney, a former neighbour of the couple, was accused of being a "nark" after helping police during their early inquiries.
"Say something," she says. "You can intervene. Tell them you know what's going on because a lot of abusers like to isolate their victims, that's a common fact. If the community know what's going on they're less likely to abuse."
"The key message is to look after kids, to protect them and to love them," says Mr Greene.
Ellery and Ms Scott have since had a child together, a daughter who's been taken into care by CYF.
Much of today's hearing was held in private. Ellery's grandparents were also in court to support him.
The judge told the court Ellery had spent the past nine months persuading others that he wasn't involved in Serenity's death, and that he needed psychological help.
Ellery wept in the dock as the judge denied him bail and he was remanded in custody.
He will reappear next month.
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