SA man jailed for murdering toddler

An Adelaide man who murdered his partner's toddler has been jailed by a judge who said the community was outraged by the bashing of a defenceless two-year-old.

Justice Timothy Anderson sentenced Brock Michael Powell to life with a non-parole period of 22 years, saying there was a need to deter others from such vicious conduct.

BJ Williams suffered extensive injuries when he was beaten to death in January 2012, in an Adelaide granny flat Powell shared with his then-partner, the boy's mother, Latara Lee Hunt.

During sentencing of the now 25-year-old in the Supreme Court on Friday, the judge said the sight of BJ at the hospital must have been gut-wrenching for his family.

The judge, who rejected Powell's explanation that BJ fell from his bed and became wedged against a cupboard, found he launched the savage attack when slightly affected by alcohol and drugs.

He said he could only speculate that Powell, who had no criminal record or history of violence, snapped after arguing with the boy's mother.

"Any young child is an easy target for those wishing to take out their frustration and anger for reasons unrelated to the child," he said.

The judge said Powell, who still maintains his innocence, had not told the truth at his trial.

"You have not assumed responsibility for your crime," he said, noting he could not give him any credit for contrition.

But for this incident, Powell seemed to have a good future given his employment record and good character.

The boy's father Brendan Williams said the sentence was a good start but would never make up for the pain of losing his son.

He previously described the worst time of his life as being when he held his dying son in his arms, after the toddler's life support was turned off.

He missed his son's laughter, smile and big blue eyes and was devastated when he arrived at the hospital when it looked like "someone had smashed his head into the floor".