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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1079484/Father-snapped-baby-daughters-faces-life-sentence-murder.html
Father who snapped baby daughter's back in two faces life sentence for her murder
Guilty of murder: James Howson snapped his baby daughter's back in two
A father who snapped his baby daughter's back in two after causing her months of pain and suffering is facing life in jail after being found guilty of her murder.
Jobless James Howson, 25, twisted the arms and legs of his 16-month-old daughter Amy before breaking her spine over his knee or the back of a chair.
At his trial, Howson tried to blame the tot's death on his partner Tina Hunt, 26, who was pregnant with the couple's second child but the jury at Leeds Crown Court saw through his lies and took just two-and-a-half hours to reach its verdict.
It never emerged in court just why Howson killed Amy - she suffered 40 injuries in all - and it is unclear as to what part Hunt played in the tragedy.
But the jury was told the couple, from Edlington, Doncaster hardly spoke after falling out a few months before the baby's death and Howson apparently did not want another child.
Jurors were told that Tina 'wore the trousers' in the relationship and Howson had little experience in bringing up children.
In the last two months before Amy was found dead at home on December 23 last year, the prosecution claimed Howson punched, slapped and squeezed Amy, causing seven fractures, before breaking her back.
Prosecutor Gary Burrell QC said of the fatal attack: 'He snapped her back in two at waist level as though he held her over his knee or thigh or possibly a chair or sofa back with her back downwards.
'He then used extreme force on her body so as to hyperextend the back and cause a complete break at the level of the first lumbar vertebra. Her back was literally snapped in two.'
The court heard Amy was thin, severely malnourished, dehydrated and covered in bruises.
Just before she died she had suffered a serious injury to her forehead and had bleeding on the brain.
She had three old fractures to her left leg, two to her right arm, one to her left arm and a broken rib.
She would have been unable to move without severe discomfort and according to witnesses was 'screaming and crying' with pain, did not smile and looked pale.
When arrested Howson told officers the child had fallen out of bed the previous night and banged her head.
Tina Hunt
He also claimed some of the injuries could have occurred when the family's pet Staffordshire bull terrier got into bed with the child.
At her death Amy weighed the same as she did ten months earlier.
She was last seen by health workers in March, 2007 but when her assessments were due the health team could not gain access to the couple's house and medical appointments were missed.
Howson told police he was looking after Amy because Hunt had morning sickness. She had fallen out of bed onto a foam mattress he placed alongside and banged her forehead.
He later took her downstairs, smoked some cannabis and cradled the baby in his arms until they both fell asleep. He woke up the next morning and found Amy was not breathing.
But in court he blamed Hunt saying she could have caused the baby's injuries while he was asleep. 'I didn't inflict any injuries to my daughter at all,' he said.
The prosecution claimed Hunt must have known about the assaults by Howson and she failed to take reasonable steps to protect the child by contacting the police or social services.
Howson was found guilty of murder and cruelty by assaulting Amy. He had admitted another cruelty offence in not seeking medical help for Amy.
Hunt admitted allowing the death of a child and one offence of cruelty before Howson's trial started.
Both defendants will be sentenced on Friday by Judge Mrs Justice Cox who said it was a 'serious and distressing' case before discharging the jury.
Father who snapped baby daughter's back in two faces life sentence for her murder
Guilty of murder: James Howson snapped his baby daughter's back in two
A father who snapped his baby daughter's back in two after causing her months of pain and suffering is facing life in jail after being found guilty of her murder.
Jobless James Howson, 25, twisted the arms and legs of his 16-month-old daughter Amy before breaking her spine over his knee or the back of a chair.
At his trial, Howson tried to blame the tot's death on his partner Tina Hunt, 26, who was pregnant with the couple's second child but the jury at Leeds Crown Court saw through his lies and took just two-and-a-half hours to reach its verdict.
It never emerged in court just why Howson killed Amy - she suffered 40 injuries in all - and it is unclear as to what part Hunt played in the tragedy.
But the jury was told the couple, from Edlington, Doncaster hardly spoke after falling out a few months before the baby's death and Howson apparently did not want another child.
Jurors were told that Tina 'wore the trousers' in the relationship and Howson had little experience in bringing up children.
In the last two months before Amy was found dead at home on December 23 last year, the prosecution claimed Howson punched, slapped and squeezed Amy, causing seven fractures, before breaking her back.
Prosecutor Gary Burrell QC said of the fatal attack: 'He snapped her back in two at waist level as though he held her over his knee or thigh or possibly a chair or sofa back with her back downwards.
'He then used extreme force on her body so as to hyperextend the back and cause a complete break at the level of the first lumbar vertebra. Her back was literally snapped in two.'
The court heard Amy was thin, severely malnourished, dehydrated and covered in bruises.
Just before she died she had suffered a serious injury to her forehead and had bleeding on the brain.
She had three old fractures to her left leg, two to her right arm, one to her left arm and a broken rib.
She would have been unable to move without severe discomfort and according to witnesses was 'screaming and crying' with pain, did not smile and looked pale.
When arrested Howson told officers the child had fallen out of bed the previous night and banged her head.
Tina Hunt
He also claimed some of the injuries could have occurred when the family's pet Staffordshire bull terrier got into bed with the child.
At her death Amy weighed the same as she did ten months earlier.
She was last seen by health workers in March, 2007 but when her assessments were due the health team could not gain access to the couple's house and medical appointments were missed.
Howson told police he was looking after Amy because Hunt had morning sickness. She had fallen out of bed onto a foam mattress he placed alongside and banged her forehead.
He later took her downstairs, smoked some cannabis and cradled the baby in his arms until they both fell asleep. He woke up the next morning and found Amy was not breathing.
But in court he blamed Hunt saying she could have caused the baby's injuries while he was asleep. 'I didn't inflict any injuries to my daughter at all,' he said.
The prosecution claimed Hunt must have known about the assaults by Howson and she failed to take reasonable steps to protect the child by contacting the police or social services.
Howson was found guilty of murder and cruelty by assaulting Amy. He had admitted another cruelty offence in not seeking medical help for Amy.
Hunt admitted allowing the death of a child and one offence of cruelty before Howson's trial started.
Both defendants will be sentenced on Friday by Judge Mrs Justice Cox who said it was a 'serious and distressing' case before discharging the jury.
