Babysitter jailed for toddler's murder

Last updated at 13:04 11 April 2005


A babysitter who murdered her neighbour's two-year-old son by repeatedly battering his head against wooden banisters will serve at least 10 years of a life sentence, a judge told her today.

Suzanne Holdsworth, 34, snapped as she minded Kyle Fisher at her home in Millpool Close, Hartlepool, while his 19-year-old mother Clare was on a night out last July.

A jury at Teesside Crown Court found her guilty last month after hearing the impact on the child's head was similar to being thrown from a car at 60mph.

Mr Justice Grigson, sentencing at Leeds Crown Court, told Holdsworth: "I accept that the incident was momentary and your actions were wholly unpremeditated."

Holdsworth's barrister said the normal starting point for a life sentence for murder was 15 years.

Kyle died from severe brain swelling at Newcastle General Hospital two days after Holdsworth attacked him.

Photographs

The jury at her trial was shown graphic photographs of the bruising to the top of his head which matched the pattern of the wooden banisters at the top of her stairs.

No motive for the attack was given in court and she always denied hitting the toddler, claiming he had suffered a fit and collapsed.

At Leeds Crown Court today Mr Justice Grigson said: "You are a woman of good character, you brought up two children on your own and you acted as a babysitter to other children prior to this tragic incident and in all that time you behaved in a wholly responsible way.

"Only you know what happened on the night that caused you to assault this young child, a child who apparently loved you and of whom you were fond.

"The evidence was clear that you must have rammed his head against the vertical railings of the banisters in your home.

"He was vulnerable and he was in your care.

"I accept you did not intend to kill him but to cause serious bodily harm and I accept that the incident was momentary and your actions were wholly unpremeditated.

"I accept the risk of reoffending is low."

Support

Holdsworth wept as she was led away while many of her family, including partner Lee, in the public gallery stood to show their support.

Jeremy Richardson QC, for the defence, had earlier told the judge that Holdsworth was a loving mother of two with a large supportive family. He said she had worked on a supermarket checkout while she was on bail in the Halton Moor area of Leeds, the city where she grew up.

Mr Richardson said: "She has no history of violence.

"This was a one-off tragedy."

He said in the 34 days she has spent in prison she has already made good progress and taken several courses at Low Newton jail's unit for life prisoners.