Dad confesses to punching 16-day-old daughter to death

Dad confesses to punching 16-day-old daughter
to death
.A dad who murdered his 16-day-old baby daughter
by "repeatedly punching" or "slamming" her during a
sickening attack at their home has been jailed for 25
years.
.
Matthew Higham, 23, from Stockport, pleaded guilty
to killing Florence Liberty Mae Higham at Preston
Crown Court on the first day of his trial.
Prosecutor Mr Gordon Cole QC said the little girl had
received "extensive injuries" at the hands of her
father.
.

A pathologist said it could not be ruled out that he
infant was also kicked or stamped on.
Florence was taken to Stepping Hill Hospital in
Stockport but was pronounced dead at 8.38pm on
July 29 last year.
The court was told that Higham had been looking
after the baby while Florence's mother Sharon
Collins visited a sick relative in hospital.
.
Mr Cole said that Higham was to make an emergency
999 call at 8.06pm saying that his daughter was
"bleeding out of her nose, mouth and ears" but
denied that Florence had sustained any trauma while
with him.
He initially described to police how Florence had
begun to bleed as he fed her, before stopping
breathing.
Higham has maintained that he has no account of
what happened or how he caused the injuries which
included multiple skull and rib fractures, facial
injuries and bruising, resulting in acute brain
damage.
She also suffered internal injuries and organ damage
including a lacerated liver.
.
Mr Cole said:
"It's right to say that Florence died as a result
of these multiple injuries. Stating the obvious,
a newborn baby is completely dependent on
parents.
"These injuries reveal the extent of the
injuries extending towards Florence by her
father. Still there is no account from him as to
how he caused these injuries.
"The injuries sustained were extensive and of
course would have had no chance of recovery."
.
During the case, Higham remained with his head in
his hands as Miss Collins cried.
The court was told that the findings of a post-
mortem examination, conducted by Dr Naomi Carter
at the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital, were
consistent with repeated punches to the face or
repeatedly being slammed against a hard surface.
.
Pathologist Dr Carter said she could not rule out that
Florence was also kicked, squeezed or stamped on.
Fingertip bruises were also found on the little girl's
arms, legs and chest indicating that she had been
"gripped and pinched with considerable force".
.
Following a two-day investigation at the home,
officers concluded that the assault had taken place
around the sofa before the youngster was moved
throughout the house as she continued to bleed.
The court heard that Higham had made an attempt
to clean the house before emergency services
arrived.
Blood-stained clothing was found in the dustbin.
Following his arrest later that night, he was to
provide a statement denying his involvement in the
death of his "perfect" baby, adding it had been "out
of the blue".
.
The statement said: "I'm not responsible for the
death of my lovely little girl Florence. She was the
light of my eyes. I have not shook her or dropped
her."
Mr Benjamin Nolan QC for Higham said: "He does
not remember the actual events of the killing."
In passing sentence of life imprisonment with a
minimum term of 25 years, Mr Justice Kerr said that
the "evil done" by Higham in the "brutal and
frenzied attack" was greater than in other cases he
had considered.

.
He added:
"You battered her to death, her injuries were
horrifying.
"It was a crime of such unspeakable violence it
is difficult to understand how any human being
could do such a thing.
"You say you do not remember doing it.
Whether or not that is true, by your plea of
guilty to the murder of your baby daughter
you have accepted, very late, that you inflicted
those injuries on her with the intention of
killing her or doing her really serious harm."
.
The court was earlier told that two days prior to
Florence's death social services had reduced the
level of association with the family due to a
"decreased level of concern".
The court was told that Higham's previous conviction
of an offence of battery in May 2014 was "not
irrelevant" as it was committed only a short time
before the murder.
.
Mr Justice Kerr added:
"The victim was a baby barely two weeks old,
defenceless and completely dependent on
you.
"You still say you do not remember what
happened, but now you accept that you
intended to kill or cause really serious harm to
Florence.
.
"Only this morning did you finally accept that
the game was up and that the trial need not
proceed."
.
UK Mirror