Burntwood baby killed after repeated assaults, court told

A five-week-old baby allegedly murdered by her parents suffered more than 40 rib fractures, as well as broken legs and a brain injury, a trial has heard.

Sean Jefferson, 35, and Amy Leigh Clarke, 34, are accused of killing their daughter Darcy-Leigh Jefferson, who died in hospital on 29 March 2022 from the brain injury she sustained two days earlier.

Prosecutors allege Darcy-Leigh had been assaulted repeatedly since she was born and her brain injury was either caused by her being shaken violently or her head being stuck against a surface.

Jefferson, of Birch Court, Walsall, and Clarke, of Enots Close, Lichfield, both deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Warning: this story contains details which some readers might find distressing

The pair, who lived in Burntwood, Staffordshire, at the time, also deny manslaughter, causing grievous bodily harm and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm.

At the first day of the trial at Stafford Crown Court, Harpreet Sandhu KC, prosecuting, said Darcy-Leigh was born prematurely on 20 February 2022 and “was tiny”, weighing just over 4lb (1.8kg).

She was in the care of her parents and one or both were responsible for killing her, the jury was told at Friday’s hearing.

Sandhu said throughout the five weeks of her short life she was physically assaulted on a repeated basis.

She told the jury at least three incidents resulted in a total of 47 rib fractures, which were likely to have been caused when her chest was squeezed.

Both of her legs had been fractured too, she added, which was likely the result of her legs being pulled or twisted, or her body being shaken.

Sandhu said Clarke was witnessed being drunk while pregnant on numerous occasions.

The court heard a friend had visited the couple in January 2022 and found Clarke sitting on the toilet, smoking a cigarette, drinking wine and snorting cocaine.

Sandhu said Jefferson sent WhatsApp messages to Clarke asking why she was drinking and told her he would put her “6ft underground” if the baby died.

The court heard Jefferson was a cannabis user, and Clarke sent him WhatsApp messages accusing him of “getting stoned every day”.

“Theirs was a volatile relationship,” Sandhu said. “It was characterised by consistent disagreements and aggression.

“Each defendant knew that there was a risk of the other flying off the handle.”

She said both of them knew there was a “significant risk” of the other causing serious physical harm to their child after she was born.

The court was told Darcy-Leigh and Clarke were seen by medical professionals multiple times and no concerns were raised.

Sandhu said this was “at odds” with what prosecutors now know, because of the “many rib fractures” the baby began to suffer shortly after her birth.

The trial continues.