Suffolk woman cleared of harming baby after appeal win

[Alison J Stevens]

Suffolk woman cleared of harming baby after appeal win

Related Stories

• Appeal hearing over baby injury

A woman from Suffolk found guilty of inflicting serious injuries on a baby girl has won a two-year legal battle at the Court of Appeal to clear her name.

Claire Thompson, 34, was given a suspended sentence at Ipswich Crown Court in March 2009 after being found guilty of causing grievous bodily harm.

But Miss Thompson, of Talbot Road, Sudbury, always said she was innocent.

She took her case that she was wrongly convicted to the Court of Appeal in London.

After finding her trial had taken a “seriously wrong turn”, three senior judges quashed her conviction and declined to order a retrial – saying “enough is enough”.

‘Unfortunate case’

Lord Justice Moses told the court the allegations were made when the nine-week-old baby girl was found to have a fractured skull, fractures to her femur and tibia and a broken rib.

He said the head injuries must have been caused by the baby’s head hitting a hard object, and someone must have pulled or squeezed the girl to cause the leg injuries.

Miss Thompson denied she was the perpetrator but was convicted by the jury.

Her lawyers said the jury may have been prejudiced after the judge allowed a witness to give evidence which unfairly implicated her.

Lord Justice Moses, sitting with Mr Justice Keith and Judge Peter Collier QC, said it was clear the witness “had his own axe to grind”.

He said it was “a very unfortunate state of affairs” that evidence which could have helped clear Miss Thompson was not followed up.

The judges rejected a prosecution bid to have Miss Thompson retried.

Speaking outside court, Miss Thompson said: “I’m am very relieved the last two years are over and I can start rebuilding my life.

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-suffolk-12992590