Quincy Timberlake pleads guilty to manslaughter in son's death probe

Quincy Zuma Wambitta Timberlake, a former Kenyan presidential candidate, has pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of his three-year-old son, Sinclair, at his Kallangur home north of Brisbane, Australia.

Timberlake, who was scheduled to face trial in the Brisbane Supreme Court this week, stunned the court by entering a guilty plea to the lesser charge of manslaughter on Tuesday.

The prosecution accepted this plea and subsequently withdrew the murder charge, and the judge-only trial was cancelled.

Initially, the story had sent shockwaves across Kenya, with Timberlake having informed the authorities that his son had suffered a fatal fall down the stairs, leading to his inability to breathe.

Despite the efforts of paramedics, Sinclair tragically lost his life shortly after the 2014 incident.

However, Esther Arunga Timberlake, Quincy's wife and the mother of Sinclair, later disclosed to the police that her husband had physically assaulted the young boy by punching him in the stomach and throwing him against a wall.

She was convicted of being an accessory to the boy's manslaughter for attempting to mislead the police regarding her husband's involvement.

Later on, Timberlake made known that he had murdered his son due to his conviction that the child was possessed by extraterrestrial entities residing in his stomach.

During pre-trial discussions, it was revealed that Timberlake had been diagnosed with psychosis and schizophrenia.

Quincy Timberlake had previously made headlines in 2010 when he announced his candidacy for the presidency in Kenya, after which the Timberlakes migrated to Australia.

The sentencing has been scheduled for September 29.