A childminder has been jailed for 12 years and seven months for killing a nine-month-old boy by shaking him to death in frustration.
Karen Foster, who was due to go on trial for the murder of nine-month-old Harlow Collinge, pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter last Friday after discussions with the child’s family.
The basis of the 62-year-old’s plea was that “forceful shaking” of Harlow caused his death after he had toppled over out of his high chair, started crying and she shook him in frustration, Preston Crown Court heard.
Mr Justice Barry Cotter said in court that Harlow was a “happy, healthy, much-loved” boy, but said Foster chose to continue childminding despite ill health and pain in her hip.
He noted she worked than she should have under Ofsted rules and said this contributed to her “loss of temper”, before adding: “You should have been a safe pair of hands to which Gemma Collinge could ensure her precious child.
“I have no doubt you snapped on the 1 March 2022, in part due to the fact that you were not coping with the demands of caring for four children. You lost your temper and he was on the receiving end.
“You shook an [almost] ten-month-old child so violently to cause devastating injuries. His death was caused in the course of an assault.”
Harlow’s relatives shouted “scumbag bitch” and “I hate you” to Foster as she was led away from the dock.
Harlow died in hospital after emergency services were called to reports of a child in cardiac arrest at a property in Hapton, Burnley, in Lancashire on 1 March 2022.
He had been dropped off at Foster’s address – a registered childminder with nine years’ experience.
Later that day she called 999 and told the operator Harlow was not breathing, and went on to tell a paramedic he had suddenly collapsed, the court heard.
Harlow was rushed to the Royal Blackburn Hospital, but died four days later.
A CT scan of the infant’s head showed significant injuries to the brain, with bleeding on both sides and swelling.
A post-mortem listed the cause of death as inflicted traumatic brain injury.
Harlow had been described as a “healthy and happy boy” prior to the traumatic injuries.
Foster also faced a further allegation of assaulting a two-year-old girl in her care in 2019.
The prosecution told the judge it will ask for that count to lie on file.
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