Overview
- At Stafford Crown Court, the Crown said the five-week-old died on March 29, 2022 after sustaining a catastrophic brain injury around March 27 caused by violent shaking or impact.
- Jurors were told she had 47 rib fractures from at least three separate incidents, with timing estimates of three early injuries, 33 five to ten days before death, and 11 two to five days before death.
- The baby also had fractures to both legs said to have been inflicted at different times, likely from pulling, twisting or shaking.
- Amy Clarke, 34, of Lichfield, and Sean Jefferson, 35, of Walsall, deny murdering their daughter as well as causing or allowing her death.
- The court heard allegations of heavy alcohol and cocaine use by Clarke, cannabis use by Jefferson and a volatile relationship, alongside evidence that a child‑protection registration error left professionals unaware of her status.