A mother in Australia sat in a courtroom on Monday morning, facing allegations that she murdered her 3-year-old son in 2014. She’s accused of killing him because “he looked like his dad.”

The Sydney Morning Herald reports that the unnamed woman reportedly told police that she killed son because she couldn’t connect with him. She also mentioned the striking resemblance the boy had to his father, the suspect’s ex-husband.

“I had so many thoughts about killing Timothy because I loved him but I just didn’t connect with him. Don’t get me wrong, I did love that boy … but there was a part of me that hated him because he looked like his father, because he is his father’s child.”

According to court documents, on one occasion, the little boy was beaten extensively with a wooden spoon, while his hands were tied behind his back and a ball taped to his mouth. Shortly after, he was forced into a cooler full of ice water. The boy tried frantically to get out, but the suspect pushed the cooler lid down and locked him inside.

Prior to his death, the boy’s mother often got angry at him and physically abused him routinely. She admitted that she slammed his head into a cupboard just days before she killed him.

“He was standing up against the wall and I just kept poking his forehead because he wouldn’t stand up straight and his head kept banging on the wall.” “I don’t know what I did to him because I was really pissed off but he ended up in like a catatonic state.”

The suspect’s current husband is also on trial for the 3-year-old’s death. Authorities said the the current husband played an integral part in abusing him to the point of death. Although they both admit to harsh discipline, they deny killing the boy. Instead, they blame his death on dogs attacking him while he played in a park.

“We were running around and then the dogs ran past him and knocked him over and then he went limp and he was still breathing and then started gurgling,” the boy’s mother said.

Crown prosecutor Margaret Cunneen disagreed. She said the couple lied about what happened in a plan to cover up their guilt. According to an autopsy report, the victim died of cardiac arrest after multiple blunt force injuries and spine damage caused by injuries.

Both mom and stepdad are facing murder charges and child abuse charges. If convicted, they could end spending the rest of their lives behind bars.