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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Kieran Isgin

Parents jailed after baby had more than 60 broken bones before dying

A couple has been jailed after leaving their baby with 60 broken bones shortly before she died.

Benjamin O'Shea, 26, and Naomi Johnson, 24, argued that paramedics caused the multiple fractures on their eight-week-old baby.

But they have now both been found guilty of causing or allowing her to suffer physical harm, Inner London Crown Court heard.

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O'Shea has been sentenced to eight years and eight months in jail while his partner received seven years and two months - they were also found guilty of cruelty to another child known to the pair.

Doctors discovered that the little girl had 41 fractures to her ribs and 24 other fractures to her limbs, indicating the injuries were "highly indicative that Amina had suffered continued physical abuse", according to police.

Johnson and O'Shea called 999 on the morning of April 26, 2019, after Amina stopped breathing.

Within minutes of the call, paramedics arrived and tried to resuscitate her, but she died at the scene.

Initially, there were no visible signs of injury and Amina was thought to have suffered a sudden and unexplained death, according to the Metropolitan Police.

But X-rays later revealed the sheer amount of broken bones the baby girl had.

Police added that some fractures were recent while others had started to heal, indicating repeated abuse.

Despite this, no cause of death was established.

Police launched an investigation into Amina's death, leading to the arrest of Johnson and O'Shea.

A medical expert concluded the baby's limb fractures were caused on a minimum of seven separate occasions while the rib fractures were the result of at least two incidents.

It's also suggested the spread of the injuries meant they could not have been caused by accident.

Evidence also suggests that Amina's head had experienced bleeding in the past, but it had healed.

Police also discovered that O'Shea made several NHS 111 calls between 2016 and 2019 referring to his self-diagnosed PTSD and anger issues.

Around three weeks before Amina's death, he reported that she was coughing blood but refused to take her to the hospital, despite a doctor's house.

Detectives also uncovered texts between Johnson and O'Shea where they admitted to slapping and mistreating another child which they have been convicted for.

Following a four-week trial at Inner London Crown Court, the couple were found guilty on November 30.

Detective Inspector Melanie Pressley, who led the police investigation, said Johnson and O'Shea had committed "monstrous crimes" and their baby daughter had suffered an "unimaginable number of injuries".

"The trauma she endured in her short life is impossible to comprehend, her injuries are a catalogue of the most despicable abuse," DI Pressley added.

"The cruelty and callousness with which the pair discussed the treatment of the other child in this case is shocking.

"Children depend on adults, and the children in this case were sorely betrayed by Johnson and O'Shea in the most tragic of ways."

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