Cleo Smith’s parents made a heartbreaking revelation in their first interview since their daughter’s evil kidnapper was jailed.
Ms Smith and Jake Gliddon have given their first interview since the sentencing of Terence Kelly, the man who confessed to stealing then four-year-old Cleo in October 2021.
The little girl was found 18 days later at Kelly’s home in the West Australian Pilbara coast town of Carnarvon, just kilometres from Cleo’s family home.
Kelly, 37, was in April sentenced to 13 years and six months in prison.
On Sunday night, 60 Minutes revealed the phone call Ms Smith made after discovering her little girl was gone.
Police bodycam footage of Ellie Smith after Cleo’s abduction. Picture: 60 Minutes
“Hi, umm, my daughter’s gone missing,” the frantic-sounding mum tells the operator.
“How old’s your daughter, love?” he asks.
“She’s four,” Ms Smith says, holding back tears.
The segment also featured police bodycam footage from the hours immediately after Cleo’s abduction at a remote campsite north of Carnarvon.
In the footage Ms Smith appears distressed as she tells officers her daughter is missing.
The parents, speaking for the first time since Kelly’s sentencing, opened up about how Cleo has been coping since the ordeal.
“She still has her sad nights, her nightmare nights, some things she just can’t explain,” Ms Smith said.
“[Cleo’s] nightmare nights are the worst nights, it’s just heartbreaking.”
She said it “obviously it hurts to know that she was crying out for help and we weren’t there, it hurts to know she was crying out for help and it was ignored”.
Photos of Terence Kelly on his Facebook page. Picture: Facebook
“It is hard talking about [Terence Kelly and what happened,” said Ms Smith, who, along with Mr Gliddon, was present in the WA District Court when Kelly was sentenced.
WA Police Minister Paul Papalia told 60 Minutes the search for Cleo, which is now being assessed by international law enforcement agencies, began “as a massive, wide spectrum of investigation” before it “narrowed and narrowed”.
“Just prior to his arrest they became more focused on him,” he said.
It’s the second interview Ms Smith and Mr Gliddon have had with 60 Minutes — they were paid $2 million for an interview in February 2022, about three months after Cleo was rescued.
The couple refused to speak to media outside court following Kelly’s sentencing.
The segment comes just days after Kelly’s legal defence lodged an appeal against his sentence in the WA Court of Appeals.
Ellie Smith and Jake Gliddon. Picture: 60 Minutes
Cleo’s disappearance made international headlines as police desperately searched for the little girl around the clock.
She had been was visiting the Point Quobba Blowholes Campground with her mother, stepfather and baby sister for their first family camping trip before being taken.
On the first night of the trip Kelly, who had been using methamphetamine, unzipped the wall of Cleo’s tent between 2.40am and 4.40am intending to steal valuables.
He then made the frightening decision to make off with the little girl instead.
Her mother discovered that Cleo was gone at about 6am, when she immediately dialled triple-0 after a frantic but unfruitful search of the campsite.
As the days went on in the search for the little girl, WA Premier Mark McGowan announced a $1 million reward for any information relating to her disappearance.
‘She still has her sad nights, her nightmare nights.’ Picture: Channel 9
Kelly’s sentencing hearing revealed details about what Cleo was subjected to while she was captive in the home.
Cleo was allowed to wander around the house while Kelly was home, otherwise she was locked in a bedroom while her captor went about his usual business in the local community.
When Cleo cried and begged to be returned to her parents, Kelly would turn up the radio to drown out the girl and hide her presence from neighbours.
On occasion, Kelly would get angry with her and “smack her” or “rough her up”.
During the 18-day ordeal, no one else visited Kelly’s home.
After weeks of police work, detectives were able to track Cleo to Kelly‘s home following a tip-off.
Cleo’s disappearance made international headlines. Picture: 60 Minutes
They broke down the locked door in the early morning police raid to find her playing with toys.
The raid was videoed by officers involved, with the moment Cleo is rescued caught on tape.
“What’s your name?” Sergeant Blaine asks the girl three times before he gets the answer, “My … my name is Cleo.”
In the wake of her rescue, her parents said they appreciated the love and support for their family.
“In particular, we would like to thank WA Police, all those involved in the initial search, the Carnarvon community, local businesses and of course our family and friends,” the family said in a statement after Cleo was rescued.
“We are humbled by the love and support that we have received from not only our local community but the whole of Western Australia and across the country. We are so thankful that our little girl is back within our arms and our family is whole again.”