Parents jailed over death of five-week-old child

A father has been jailed for life for murdering his five-week-old baby daughter who died after suffering dozens of injuries to her head, ribs and legs during repeated assaults.

Sean Jefferson, 35, was handed a minimum term of 22years in prison for killing Darcy-Leigh Jefferson, who died in hospital on 29 March 2022.

During trial, Stafford Crown Court had heard the baby suffered a catastrophic brain injury at home in Burntwood, Staffordshire, on Mother's Day two days earlier.

Darcy Leigh's mother Amy Clark, 34, was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of causing or allowing the infant's death - behaviour the sentencing judge linked to substance abuse.

Both Clark and Jefferson had denied multiple charges ahead of an almost two-month trial that concluded last month.

Jefferson, of Birch Court, Walsall, was in addition to murder found guilty of two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

Clark, from Lichfield, Staffordshire, saw charges of murder or manslaughter dropped by prosecutors towards the end of the trial. Alongside her conviction linked to the fatality, she was also convicted of two counts of causing or allowing serious harm to a child.

Police described the pair's crimes against their daughter as an "appalling betrayal".

Darcy-Leigh, who was born five weeks premature, had a total of 47 rib fractures when she suffered the fatal brain injury.

Police were called by the ambulance service on 27 March 2022 after she collapsed at the Burntwood property, with her patents arrested the following day, the Staffordshire force said.

Jurors were told the child had been "physically assaulted on a repeated basis", with injuries caused by being shaken violently or having her head struck against a surface.

The court heard Clark had been struggling in the run-up to Darcy-Leigh's death and had sent Jefferson text messages about her exhaustion and his lack of support.

He responded with a message threatening to "put you 6ft underground" if she killed her baby through excessive drinking.

The trial also heard both parents were taking drugs during their daughter's short life.

Neither chose to give evidence in their defence.

Sentencing on Thursday, Judge Mrs Justice Brunner called the death of the young child a "terrible tragedy".

"Darcy-Leigh should have had a long life being loved by her family and friends [and] sharing happy time with her brother and extended family," she told Jefferson.

"You have deprived her of her life and you have deprived others of the pleasure of getting to know her and sharing her life."

Addressing Clark, she said the mother had "lived a chaotic life abusing alcohol and cocaine", with her substance abuse continuing during her pregnancy and after Darcy-Leigh was born.

"You ought to have been aware of the risk Sean Jefferson posed but [you] were not in fact aware of that risk," she said.

"One of the reasons you were not aware of that risk was your continued use of alcohol and drugs."

Following the convictions, Staffordshire County Council promised a review of the case would be "published in due course".

Nick Lakin, the councillor responsible for child services, said changes had been made following Darcy-Leigh's death but accepted "more could and should have been done by those who had the opportunity to intervene".

He apologised for what he called a "failure" to act decisively prior to her death.

An NSPCC statement said it was vital any learnings identified were acted on quickly to help prevent future tragedies.

Paul Reid from the Crown Prosecution Service said Darcy-Leigh was a "defenceless baby who was betrayed by the two people in the world who should have loved and cared for her the most".

"Rather than take accountability for their actions, Clark and Jefferson lied about what happened to their daughter," he said.

"The CPS built a compelling case using witness testimony, phone records, and medical evidence to prove that both parents were responsible for their daughter's death."

Det Ch Insp Ian Fitzgerald, who led the investigation, said the actions of Darcy-Leigh's parents represented an "appalling betrayal of parental responsibility".

He added: "Jefferson will now spend a significant part of his life in prison but no sentence can ever reflect the cruelty inflicted on Darcy or repair the devastation left behind."