Monster dad jailed for 31 years after forcing his two little girls to wear ballerina dresses and dance to the Frozen song 'Let it Go' before smothering them with a pillow

• e-mail

A Melbourne man jailed for life for killing his two daughters moments after dressing them in ballerina outfits and filming them dancing to Frozen's 'Let it Go' was motivated by hatred of his ex-wife, a judge says.

Charles Amon Mihayo, 36, must serve at least 31 years in prison for smothering four-year-old Savannah and three-year-old Indianna with a pillow during a game of hide-and-seek on Easter Sunday.

Mihayo later told police he had to do it but they did not need to know the reasons why.

Scroll down for video 

Charles Amon Mihayo, 36, must serve at least 31 years in prison for kis his three and four-year-old daughters

Savannah (right), four, and Indianna (left), three, were suffocated by their father 'during hide and seek'

But Victorian Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry said his crimes were inextricably linked to his ongoing conflict with his ex.

'You decided she would pay the price and inevitably so would your children with their lives,' he said.

'You decided to demonstrate to your ex-wife that she did not have the control over the children and their relationship with you that she thought she had.

'Your breach of parental trust is almost beyond belief.

'You gave in to the basest of instincts - revenge.'

Justice Lasry said Mihayo's crime was one of the most hideous he had been involved with in his 40 years in criminal law.

'I believe I largely understand why serious crimes occur, no matter how vicious,' he said.

'But I admit I am at a loss to understand these terrible crimes.' 

The court heard the Melbourne father filmed his girls dancing in ballerina dresses to 'Let It Go' from Frozen

Mihayo is led into the Supreme Court of Victoria in Melbourne on Thursday for sentencing

He said the justice system must learn to be able to better identify parents at risk of murdering their children so crimes such as Mihayo's can be stopped.

'Killings like this are subject to regular public discussion, and so they should be, because they are hideous crimes devoid of any form of justification or proper explanation.'

The day before the April 20 murders he texted his ex-wife asking to see the kids one last time and told her she had 'won'.

Before they arrived at his home, Mihayo bought the girls the new dresses and shoes they would die in.

He suffocated, then bathed and put them back in the outfits before calling police.

When his ex-wife, worried by the silence, knocked on his door, he told her to 'wait a minute' and 'you'll know when they get here'.

Charles Amon Mihayo (pictured), 36, pleaded guilty to murdering Savannah and Indianna

He met the police officers at the door, telling them: 'It's done. I've killed them. I've killed my kids.'

When police asked why he killed them, Mihayo looked at the girls' mother and said, 'You have to ask her.'

He later said they would not understand what he had been through and providing a reason would not make a difference.

The Tanzanian-born Mihayo did not react in the court dock as he was sentenced.

In an earlier court hearing, Chief Crown prosecutor Gavin Silbert QC said there was ongoing hostility between Mihayo and his ex-wife regarding access to the children, exacerbated when he found out the girls' mother had a new partner, and Mihayo killed the girls as revenge. 

Mr Silbert said after the relationship broke down, Mihayo told a co-worker he had been thinking about ways to kill his ex-wife and get away with it but he would make sure his daughters were in a safe place.

Four days before the girls died he Googled 'how can I kill my ex-wife', the court heard.

Victorian Supreme Court Justice Lex Lasry said his crimes were linked to his ongoing conflict with his ex

Defence barrister Tim Marsh said Mihayo did not want to try to justify what had happened in any way.

But he told the court the murders should not be considered premeditated, pointing out certain things Mihayo told police after the act.

He said Mihayo told police: 'That just happened, it just happened right then and there.'

Mr Marsh said Mihayo indicated he decided to kill the girls while they were playing hide-and-seek, after dancing. 

'Mr Mihayo instructs he was consumed by a particular thought, a particular idea, and made the decision to kill the children,' Mr Marsh said.Mihayo had indicated 'some particular horror' that his children would grow up not knowing their father, as he himself had done, Mr Marsh told the court.

'Mr Mihayo says, "I thought, well, if the kids are not there, they are not going to suffer the way I suffered, knowing their dad is somewhere but you never get to see him",' Mr Marsh said, referring to a police interview. 

Outside the Melbourne home of Savannah and Indianna who died earlier this year

Neighbours paid tribute to the two girls who were tragically murdered