Burntwood baby killed after repeated assaults, court told

A five-week-old baby allegedly murdered by his parents suffered more than 40 broken ribs as well as broken legs and brain damage, a hearing heard.

Sean Jefferson, 35, and Amy Leigh Clarke, 34, are accused of murdering their daughter, Darcy-Leigh Jefferson, who died in hospital on March 29, 2022, due to a brain injury she suffered two days earlier.

Prosecutors allege Darcy-Leigh has been attacked repeatedly since birth and that her brain damage was caused either by being shaken violently or by having her head stuck against a surface.

Jefferson, of Birch Court, Walsall, and Clarke, of Enots Close, Lichfield, both deny murder and causing or permitting the death of a child.

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The pair, who were living in Burntwood, Staffordshire at the time, also deny charges of manslaughter, two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and two counts of causing or permitting grievous bodily harm to a child.

On the first day of the trial at Stafford Crown Court, prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC said Darcy-Leigh was born prematurely on February 20, 2022, and was “little”, weighing just over 1.8kg.

At Friday’s hearing, the jury was told that he was under the care and protection of his parents and that one or both of his parents were responsible for killing him.

Sandhu said he was physically attacked numerous times during the five weeks of his short life.

He told the jury that at least three incidents resulted in a total of 47 rib fractures, which were likely caused by compression of his chest.

He added that both of his legs were broken, which was probably caused by his legs being pulled, twisted or his body being shaken.

Sandhu said she witnessed Clarke get drunk on multiple occasions while she was pregnant.

The court heard a friend visited the couple in January 2022 and found Clarke sitting on the toilet, smoking, drinking wine and snorting cocaine.

Sandhu said Jefferson sent WhatsApp messages to Clarke, asking why she was drinking and saying that if the baby died, he would put it “six feet underground.”

The court heard Jefferson was a cannabis user and Clarke sent him WhatsApp messages, accusing him of “getting high every day”.

“Theirs was a volatile relationship,” Sandhu said. “It was characterized by constant disagreements and aggression.

“Each defendant knew there was a risk the other would spiral out of control.”

He said both knew there was a “significant” risk of the other causing serious physical harm to their child after it was born.

The court was told Darcy-Leigh and Clarke had been seen by medical professionals on numerous occasions and no concerns were raised.

Sandhu said this was “contradictory” with what prosecutors knew because the baby began suffering shortly after birth, suffering “many rib fractures.”

The trial continues.