Brendan Pallant, 36, faced a month-long trial in Victoria’s Supreme Court after he pleaded not guilty to the 2019 murder.
On Monday, he was sentenced to 32 years’ imprisonment with a non-parole period of 25 years.
Jaidyn Gomes-Sebastiao, affectionately known as Snuffles, was just two years old when he died on September 2, 2019.
Pallant moved in with Jaidyn’s mother, Stacie Saggers, 26 days before the child was found dead from head injuries in his bedroom at the Langwarrin home.
He was babysitting Jaidyn and his brother while the boys’ mother was working, on September 2, when he fatally assaulted the toddler.
Justice Jane Dixon said the 32-year sentence was higher than the standard punishment for murder, which usually sits around 25 years.
“The fact that the victim was a young and vulnerable child is a significant aggravating factor,” Justice Dixon told the court.
“The life of an infant or a young child is especially precious because children are so vulnerable and defenceless.
“The ordinary natural instinct of any decent human being is to feel tenderness and protectiveness … the offender’s culpability in this case is of a high order.”
With time served, Pallant could be eligible for parole by 2044.
The first jury could not reach a verdict, but the second jury found Pallant guilty of murder a year ago.