CPS News Brief

Couple convicted over death of baby in London

A couple who tried to cover up the death of their three-month old baby by carrying her lifeless onto a bus have been convicted of causing or allowing her death.

 

Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, gave a thumbs up sign to his partner Rosalin Baker, 25, as she boarded a London bus in east London on 28 September 2016 carrying the body of their daughter Imani in a sling.

 

On the bus Baker made various phone calls, before enlisting the help of another passenger by saying that there was something wrong with her baby. However, when the paramedics arrived they realised she had been dead for some time, and the hospital team identified a number of signs of injury.

 

A post-mortem investigation revealed Imani had a fractured skull, a fractured right wrist, and multiple broken ribs consistent with non-accidental injury.

 

Both were found guilty by a jury at the Central Criminal Court today [20 April].

 

CPS reviewing lawyer from the London homicide team Devi Kharran said: “These verdicts bring to an end a tragic case.

 

“The medical evidence showed that before she died, Baby Imani suffered a number of separate and violent assaults, including one which fractured her skull, damaged her brain and ultimately ended her life.

 

“Despite a large number of very serious and painful injuries which would have been very obvious, neither of her parents sought medical help. Instead her lifeless body was carried onto a crowded London bus to disguise the true circumstances of her death.

 

“Witnesses have told the court of the shock and distress on that bus once Imani’s lifeless body was discovered. Passengers and passers-by came forward to try to save Imani.

“This deeply affected a number of them and adds to the cruelty displayed in this horrible crime.

 

“We would like to thank those who tried to help on the day including members of the public and the emergency services, some of whom later gave evidence in support of this prosecution.”

 

Baker and Wiltshire will be sentenced on 18 May.

 

Notes:

 

Rosalin Baker, 25, [28/07/1991] guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child

Jeffrey Wiltshire, 52, [20/06/1964] guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child

Two jailed for transphobic attack

Two attackers who carried out a violent, transphobic robbery on a man in Aylesbury have today (18 April) been jailed.

On 25 July 2016, the victim was approached by a group of males, who verbally abused him for being transgender, assaulted him and stole his wallet and mobile phone.

The victim sustained serious injuries in the attack including a fractured skull, a brain aneurysm and a puncture wound to his left cheek.

The CPS prosecuted the case as a transphobic hate crime from the outset. When the victim was unable to give evidence due to the physical and psychological effects of the assault, prosecutors successfully applied to have his police statement read out in court. Upon conviction, the judge determined that the case should be sentenced as a hate crime and an uplift of six months was today applied in relation to the ringleader of the attack.

Kaviraj Choolun from the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said:

“Tackling hate crime is a priority for the CPS and offenders can expect to have their sentences increased.

“I hope this successful prosecution, and today’s sentences, will encourage victims to come forward. We work closely with our partners, as we did with Thames Valley police in this case, to ensure that criminals motivated by hate feel the full force of the law.

“We hope that the victim, who has shown great courage throughout this process, continues with his recovery. Our thoughts are with him at this time.”

Owen Wise, who was aged just 16 at the time of the incident, can be named after the judge decided to lift reporting restrictions. He acted as the ringleader and pleaded guilty to robbery and possession of a bladed article, but denied targeting the victim due to vulnerability and claimed to have only hit him once. Today the 17-year-old was sentenced at Aylesbury Crown Court to five years and 10 months in jail.

This sentence included a six-month uplift for the hate-fuelled nature of the offences. The judge praised CPS advocate Nigel Ogborne for his assistance in ensuring that Wise’s sentence was extended.

Michael Thorpe, 21, did not use any violence during the incident, but was part of the group when the robbery took place. He admitted to stealing the victim’s mobile phone during the robbery and pleaded guilty to theft.

He was sentenced to two years and three months imprisonment. Both defendants are from Aylesbury.

Note to Editors:

Kaviraj Choolun is a Senior Crown Prosecutor on the Thames Valley Crown Court Team at Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service.