Baby attack led to teenage death

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A teenager who died from epilepsy and brain damage after being assaulted by her father as a baby, was unlawfully killed, a Newport inquest has heard.

As a four-month-old baby Melissa Bennett was smothered with a pillow and shaken until she stopped breathing by her father Michael, the coroner heard.

Melissa suffered brain damage and epilepsy. Her father admitted the assault and was jailed for four years.

The coroner said her death in 2006 aged 13 was a "direct result" of the attack.

The inquest heard how Melissa was admitted to hospital in March 1993 for suspected meningitis after her father informed staff at the Royal Gwent Hospital in Newport that she had stopped breathing.

Doctors looking after her discovered she had broken blood vessels in her neck and face.

He placed a pillow over her head before violently shaking her until she stopped breathing and then he left her until he revived her with mouth-to-mouth Coroner David Bowen

A year and a half later she was readmitted to hospital after having an "uncontrollable seizure".

Medical staff investigated and concluded that her original injury was "non accidental" and found she had brain and retinal injuries.

Over the years she suffered further seizures and was eventually placed in foster care, where she continued to have seizures.

In December 1995, her father Michael Bennett was arrested and charged with causing her grievious bodily harm with intent.

He had placed a pillow over her head to stop her crying and had shaken her violently until she stopped breathing, then he left her and returned to resuscitate her with mouth-to-mouth, the coroner was told.

In July 1996, Bennett, 35, from Bettws in the city, was jailed for four years for the offence.

Unconscious

In February 2006, Melissa, 13, was found unconscious in her bed at her foster parents home, she was taken to hospital but resuscitation attempts failed and she died.

The cause of death was given as epilepsy and brain damage.

Coroner David Bowen said: "Sometime in March 1993 when she was still a baby, she was assaulted by her father.

"He placed a pillow over her head before violently shaking her until she stopped breathing and then he left her until he revived her with mouth-to-mouth.

"I'm satisfied she suffered permanent brain damage.

"I'm satisfied the brain damage was caused by her father when she was a baby.

"The law at the time the injury was sustained stated if death occurred more than a year and a day after the injury, a person could not be charged with that death.

"It was known as the 'year and a day rule' and although that has been abolished, the act of parliament was not retrospective and no criminal charges related to the death can be wrought."

He went onto say: "Her death was as a result of an intended criminal act.

"From the evidence I have heard her death was a direct result of what her father admitted doing."

He concluded by saying it was "an exceptionally tragic death".