Donna Thomas tells inquest of abuse she says her son suffered at the hands of his babysitter Daniel's mother Donna Thomas at the Wangaratta Court House. Picture: Simon Dallinger. THE mother of murdered toddler Daniel Thomas has claimed her son was hogtied, gagged and locked in a cupboard for up to two days at a time in the weeks leading up to his disappearance. In a harrowing police interview video recording aired in court, Donna Thomas described the extent of physical and verbal abuse two-year-old Daniel allegedly suffered at the hands of his babysitter, Mandy Martyn. "She tied him up like ... (she'd) caught a pig," Ms Thomas said during the harrowing interview played during the coronial inquest into her son's hearing at Wangaratta Court. Daniel Thomas was reported missing from Ms Martyn's Myrtleford home on October 17, 2003. Daniel Thomas' mother said her son was tied up and locked in a cupboard for up to two days at a time by babysitter Mandy Martyn His remains were discovered beneath a Myrtleford house Ms Thomas had previously rented after they had been disturbed by a dog five years later. Daniel was allegedly tied to the bed using the bandages to cover his eczema rashes and gagged with a Chux that was forced into his mouth when he was misbehaving. Ms Thomas also said he was placed beneath the house at night and hit with such force that his severely bruised eye closed over. The backyard of the property where the body of missing toddler Daniel Thomas was found under a house, after his remains were disturbed by a dog. Picture: Darren Mcnamara He was also allegedly held between two cabinets and forced to stare at a red wash cloth on the ground. His mother said the pair moved into Ms Martyn's home with her three children six to seven weeks before he went missing. Ms Thomas said that while she was renting a home nearby, she was unable to leave out of her fear over how Ms Martyn would react. Daniel Thomas's babysitter Mandy Martyn in 2003. Picture: Peter Ward When asked why she didn't go to police, she said she was scared. "She put the fear in me," she said. Ms Thomas and others in the room left the court during the horrific recount. Coroner Jacinta Heffey granted Ms Martyn leave to stay absent from the proceedings until she is required to front the court on December 17. A pyjama top, track suit pants, socks and bandages were discovered on Daniel's remains when they were discovered in March 2008. Evidence was given that his skull had suffered fractures. Pathologist David Ranson, who appeared via video link, said the burial had not occurred in recent weeks or months from when it was unearthed. The inquest will go for eight days and is expected to hear from 24 witnesses.