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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Childminder guilty of baby death | Childminder guilty of baby death |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| A childminder has been jailed for three years for killing an 11-month-old baby by violently shaking her in a temper. | |
| Keran Henderson, 43, of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, had pleaded not guilty to the manslaughter of Maeve Sheppard. | |
| Henderson, a mother-of-two and a former Beaver Scout leader, had been looking after Maeve when the unconscious baby was taken to hospital in 2005. | |
| Experts said Maeve's injuries were caused by her neck being violently snapped back and forth. | |
| The jury convicted Henderson after deliberating for more than 12 hours at the end of a five-week trial. | The jury convicted Henderson after deliberating for more than 12 hours at the end of a five-week trial. |
| Neck snapped | Neck snapped |
| Henderson, who ran her childminding business from her home, was hired in January 2005 to look after Maeve by her parents Ruth and Mark. | Henderson, who ran her childminding business from her home, was hired in January 2005 to look after Maeve by her parents Ruth and Mark. |
| When the baby was taken to hospital, doctors fought to save her but her condition deteriorated and her life support machine was turned off. | When the baby was taken to hospital, doctors fought to save her but her condition deteriorated and her life support machine was turned off. |
| Maeve Sheppard's neck was violently snapped back and forth | |
| Medical experts, appearing for the prosecution, told the jury the injuries Maeve suffered could only have been caused by violent shaking. | Medical experts, appearing for the prosecution, told the jury the injuries Maeve suffered could only have been caused by violent shaking. |
| Her neck ligaments were "over-extended", indicating that her neck had snapped back and forth. | Her neck ligaments were "over-extended", indicating that her neck had snapped back and forth. |
| Henderson, who had seven years experience as a childminder, claimed Maeve had a seizure while she was changing her nappy. | |
| Expert witnesses for the defence said the injuries could have been days, weeks or even months old. | Expert witnesses for the defence said the injuries could have been days, weeks or even months old. |
| 'Total shock' | 'Total shock' |
| Henderson claimed the baby had been repeatedly ill, virtually from the first day she was in her care, but Maeve's parents denied this claim. | Henderson claimed the baby had been repeatedly ill, virtually from the first day she was in her care, but Maeve's parents denied this claim. |
| Henderson said that on 2 March, Maeve's body "stiffened and jerked back" as she changed her nappy and the baby's eyes rolled back into her head. | Henderson said that on 2 March, Maeve's body "stiffened and jerked back" as she changed her nappy and the baby's eyes rolled back into her head. |
| Her body went floppy and she was gurgling as if something was stuck in her throat, she told the court. | Her body went floppy and she was gurgling as if something was stuck in her throat, she told the court. |
| Maeve was taken to hospital for treatment but her life-support machine was switched off two days later. | Maeve was taken to hospital for treatment but her life-support machine was switched off two days later. |
| In the days following this, Henderson said she gave up child minding. | In the days following this, Henderson said she gave up child minding. |
| "I wasn't able to look after the children. I was basically curled up in a ball on the settee, shaking and crying, in total shock," she told the jury. | "I wasn't able to look after the children. I was basically curled up in a ball on the settee, shaking and crying, in total shock," she told the jury. |