ON the morning of August 6, 2021, the PSNI received a distressing 999 call from an address at Park Avenue, Dungannon. 

The man on the line, Darryn John Armstrong , was reporting a serious injury sustained to a two-year-old, Ali Jayden Doyle, at the property. 

He appeared panicked, and the operator told him to calm down. 

"You need to try and tell me exactly what's happened, and you need to try and calm yourself so can help her," said the PSNI operator. 

"The child was playing with the infant in the sitting room," replied Armstrong, barely legible. 

"Was playing with what?" questioned the operator. 

"The infant, her brother," responded Armstrong, sharply. "Her brother has clapped a wee shaker thing. He hit her with a wee shaker thing."

"Is it like a maraca?" questioned the operator.  

"Yes, a wee shaker toy!" he replied. "And her head has actually hit off the fireplace."

It would later transpire that this was a lie.

Little Ali's one-year-old brother did not cause the fatal injury; Armstrong did, in  a "deliberate act of violence".

The call went on, revealing more distressing details.

"The lump on the back of her head is severely big," Armstrong continued. "There's a big, massive lump, like".

The call operator asked: "At the moment, is she breathing?"

"Hang on to we hear, hang on," said Armstrong, pausing for a few seconds. 

"Yes, I can hear her. She's breathing, but it's like a foam coming out of her mouth."

"Is there any serious bleeding?" asked the operator. 

"No there's no bleeding at all, just a big lump on the back of the head."

Ali died later that same day from her injuries while in hospital. 

This brief audio footage of that 999 call, which was released following the sentencing of Armstrong at Belfast Crown Court last week, gives a chilling account of the events of that day over three years ago. 

Jade Dempsey had temporarily left her two children, Ali and her baby boy, in the care of her "on and off partner" Armstrong.

She was due to travel to Belfast to buy a double-buggy; but this was in breach of a Child Protection Plan imposed by social services, which banned Armstrong from having contact with the children.

In addition to calling 999 on that date, Armstrong also called Dempsey. He summoned her to get back to the children, having revealed that Ali had fallen and hit her head. 

It was only when the case went to court did he admit what had actually happened. 

Despite an initially false version of events, Armstrong subsequently admitted that on the morning of August 6, 2021 he had Ali in his arms and that he threw the child who hit her head on the fireplace.

He also admitted that he was under the influence of cannabis at the time, was “frustrated” and lost his temper.

In May, two weeks before his trial was due to begin at Belfast Crown Court, he pleaded guilty to murder. 

He was handed a life sentence and was told that he would serve a minimum of 20 years behind bars. 

"The shocking reality is that Armstrong, who would later admit to murder, had caused Ali's fatal head injury in a deliberate act of violence," said Detective Chief Inspector Anthony Kelly following the sentencing. 

“His cowardly and sickening actions took an innocent young life.  

"He has robbed a young boy of his big sister, and caused unimaginable heartache to a loving father and wider family.”

Ali's mother also faced repercussions for the events of that day. She was sentenced to a probation order of three years, having previously pleaded guilty to wilfully neglecting and exposing her daughter in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering or injury.

“A Child Protection Care Plan which was in place specified that Darryn Armstrong was not allowed to have contact with the two siblings," Detective Chief Inspector Kelly said.

"Unfortunately, their mother had chosen to ignore this safeguard – a decision that cost a little girl’s life."

The Chief Inspector added that both defendants have now been "held accountable", but sympathised with Ali's loved ones. 

"I know that Ali’s loved ones, whose worlds have been shattered, are walking away with the heaviest of hearts," the Inspector concluded. 

Ali's father, Dylan Doyle, summed up the family's sorrow in a poignant statement outside the court. 

“Firstly, I would like to thank the Police for their help and support throughout what has been a long and very emotional three years to finally get to this point of getting some justice for Ali.

“We as a family will never forget our beautiful girl Ali.  She will always be in our hearts.

“We will never be able to accept that such a beautiful young child can be so cruelly taken away from us."