Baby murderer convicted

KentOnline / KMTV

A man who claimed to have no memory of abusing his five-week-old daughter has been convicted of her murder.   25-year-old Thomas Holford is now due to be sentenced after his daughter, Everleigh, suffered a catastrophic brain injury, bruising to her mouth and multiple fractures.   A warning, Bartholomew Hall's report contains some details viewers may find distressing..

Transcript

00:00A baby girl murdered in the place where she should have been safest.

00:05Under the care of her first-time father, Thomas Holford, at their home in Ramsgate,

00:10Everleigh Stroud was subjected to what was described by a pathologist

00:13as one episode of violence escalating in severity.

00:18Just five weeks after the baby had been born in April of 2021,

00:22Everleigh was left with her father overnight while her mother was staying with a friend.

00:26Jurors at Canterbury Crown Court heard that Holford, who had smoked multiple cannabis joints on that night,

00:33shook the baby and inflicted further injuries, leaving her with a catastrophic brain injury,

00:38bruising to her mouth and multiple fractures.

00:42Baby Everleigh was rushed to Margate's QEQM hospital the following day

00:46as Holford remained at home with police, where he appeared calm and laughing at one stage,

00:52all caught on officers' body-worn camera footage.

00:54We've had an update from the hospital, and they've said that the injuries that she's got to her face

00:59looks like it's been done by a person.

01:02And obviously the only person that was in with her was yourself.

01:05He was arrested at the scene.

01:07I'm arresting on suspicion of child neglect and GBH.

01:11You do not have to say anything, but it may harm your defence if you do not mention one question,

01:14something which you later allow in court.

01:16Anything you do say may be given in evidence, OK?

01:18After requiring regular hospital treatment, Everleigh died a year later, aged just 14 months,

01:26when her life support was turned off.

01:28The then 24-year-old was eventually charged in relation to the death and at Canterbury Crown Court

01:33denied murdering the baby, instead admitting to a charge of manslaughter.

01:38During the trial, which lasted three weeks, Holford claimed he had no memory of the incident.

01:44The jury at Canterbury Crown Court found Holford unanimously guilty of murder and causing actual bodily harm.

01:51He's now due to be sentenced for the murder of his baby this Friday.

01:56Bartholomew Hall for KMTV.

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