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| Mother jailed for girl's murder | |
| (31 minutes later) | |
| A mother and her boyfriend have been jailed for murdering her four-year-old daughter in West Yorkshire. | A mother and her boyfriend have been jailed for murdering her four-year-old daughter in West Yorkshire. |
| Sharon Wright, 23, and 22-year-old Peter McKenzie-Seaton were both given life terms for killing Leticia Wright and each will serve at least 23 years. | Sharon Wright, 23, and 22-year-old Peter McKenzie-Seaton were both given life terms for killing Leticia Wright and each will serve at least 23 years. |
| Leticia had 100 separate injuries when she died and Bradford Crown Court heard the girl had suffered "sustained, deliberate and brutal" abuse. | Leticia had 100 separate injuries when she died and Bradford Crown Court heard the girl had suffered "sustained, deliberate and brutal" abuse. |
| She was found dying in her Almondbury Bank home in November last year. | |
| Window 'vigil' | Window 'vigil' |
| During the four-week trial, the jury was told Leticia's injuries were equivalent to a major road traffic accident. | During the four-week trial, the jury was told Leticia's injuries were equivalent to a major road traffic accident. |
| Her body was covered from head to toe in injuries, which police believe were inflicted in the last four weeks of her life. | Her body was covered from head to toe in injuries, which police believe were inflicted in the last four weeks of her life. |
| Leticia's 'unimaginable pain' | Leticia's 'unimaginable pain' |
| Wright blamed Seaton for the injuries, accusing him of going into a rage because he did not have any cannabis. | Wright blamed Seaton for the injuries, accusing him of going into a rage because he did not have any cannabis. |
| The court heard he smoked up to £140 worth of skunk - a potent form of the drug - every week. | The court heard he smoked up to £140 worth of skunk - a potent form of the drug - every week. |
| Seaton, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, admitted biting Leticia but denied causing the fatal injuries. He told the court he was never left to look after her alone. | Seaton, of Northallerton, North Yorkshire, admitted biting Leticia but denied causing the fatal injuries. He told the court he was never left to look after her alone. |
| In the weeks before the death, the girl was seen standing as if in a "vigil" at her bedroom window. | In the weeks before the death, the girl was seen standing as if in a "vigil" at her bedroom window. |
| Witnesses said Leticia looked sad but would smile and wave back at the neighbours who waved up at her. | |
| The court heard two neighbours were so concerned they rang social services. | The court heard two neighbours were so concerned they rang social services. |
| Certain aspects could have been handled differently Paul JohnsonKirklees Council Window vigil caused concern | Certain aspects could have been handled differently Paul JohnsonKirklees Council Window vigil caused concern |
| Two social workers from Kirklees Council visited the house and met Leticia and her mother. | |
| Linda Blackie and Nicola Stephenson found Leticia to be of normal weight with no obvious marks, but she was initially quiet and when asked to fetch her toys she came back with hair grabs and a pink cup. | Linda Blackie and Nicola Stephenson found Leticia to be of normal weight with no obvious marks, but she was initially quiet and when asked to fetch her toys she came back with hair grabs and a pink cup. |
| After checking back that Leticia had been registered with a local nursery, her file was closed. | |
| She stopped attending the school after one week. | She stopped attending the school after one week. |
| 'I don't like Mummy' | 'I don't like Mummy' |
| The court heard that at one point Leticia complained to two of her aunts - the sisters of her natural father Zaheer Hussain - that Seaton would come to her room and smack her. | The court heard that at one point Leticia complained to two of her aunts - the sisters of her natural father Zaheer Hussain - that Seaton would come to her room and smack her. |
| She also told them: "I don't like Mummy". | She also told them: "I don't like Mummy". |
| The worst violence is believed to have started after a visit from a health worker on 24 October, 2006. | The worst violence is believed to have started after a visit from a health worker on 24 October, 2006. |
| When they got together they were a fatal combination . . . Leticia was in the way Det Supt Paul Taylor | |
| Det Supt Paul Taylor, who led the investigation, said the couple were a "fatal combination". | |
| He said: "Sharon Wright was a very heavy-handed, unloving, uncaring mother. | |
| "What we also know is that Peter Seaton was a man of violence, and he was pretty inadequate in a lot of ways. | |
| "As individuals they were unpleasant people. When they got together they were a fatal combination. | |
| "They wanted to be together and... Leticia was in the way." | |
| Paul Johnson, head of safeguarding at Kirklees Council and a member of the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board, defended the local authority's handling of the case. | Paul Johnson, head of safeguarding at Kirklees Council and a member of the Kirklees Safeguarding Children Board, defended the local authority's handling of the case. |
| He said a council review carried out by an "independent professional" concluded Leticia's death "could not have been foreseen". | |
| But he conceded "certain aspects could have been handled differently". |