A woman has been found guilty of murdering a one-year-old baby girl more than 10 years ago while in the process of adopting her.
Katie Tidmarsh, 39, was convicted of causing fatal injuries to Ruby Thompson in Leicester in August 2012, after the child suffered brain damage that led to a cardiac arrest and died in hospital.
During a trial at Leicester crown court, the jury heard that Ruby had been removed from her biological parents due to concerns of neglect toward their other children.
She spent some time with foster parents before Tidmarsh and her husband, Michael, were approved for her adoption. Ruby began living with them at their home in Glenfield, on the outskirts of Leicester, in March 2012 when she was about seven months old.
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said Tidmarsh had withheld information from the adoption panel, including that she had been to see her GP for “severe anxiety and panic attacks”, had been prescribed antidepressants and had been signed off work for four weeks.
During the couple’s final panel interview in November 2011, Tidmarsh failed to disclose any of the mental health issues and had previously said her mental and emotional health were “very stable”, Leicestershire Live reported.
“Disclosure would most likely have led to a further period of assessment about her suitability,” Hankin said.
The legal adoption process had not yet been completed when, on the morning of 11 August 2012, Ruby suffered catastrophic brain damage and died two days later.
A postmortem found Ruby had sustained a blunt force impact to the back of the head, and she had also sustained a broken bone and fractures in her arm around two weeks prior to her death.
Tidmarsh was arrested on suspicion of murder in November 2012. She maintained that Ruby had been sitting indoors on a rug when her “eyes rolled up and she flopped backwards, hitting her head on the rug”.
In February 2014 the CPS decided not to proceed with any charges against Tidmarsh but, after she was subject to separate court proceedings involving medical experts, the case was reopened and Tidmarsh was arrested and charged with murder in July 2022.
A number of medical experts who gave evidence during the trial said Ruby’s injuries, which included a large fracture on the back of her skull, bleeding in her brain and in her spinal canal, had been inflicted before her collapse.
Hankin said the injuries were likely caused by Tidmarsh shaking the infant.
DCI Mark Sinski, the senior investigating officer in the case, said: “It has taken over 10 years to get this case to court and reach a successful guilty verdict.
“We never lost hope in seeking justice for Ruby and the absolute determination and commitment from the investigation and prosecution team has been undeniably vital in today’s result.
“Tidmarsh has evaded justice since 2012 and will now be facing a lengthy sentence for her actions in taking the life of a young child, a child who was placed in her care to give her what was believed to be a better life.”
Tidmarsh was also found guilty of inflicting grievous bodily harm by a majority verdict and not guilty of another count of the same charge.
She is due to be sentenced at Leicester crown court on Friday.
