London Pompous
Active member
- Feb 16, 2008
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A mother has been jailed for eight years for inflicting a "horrific" series of injuries on her two-month-old son, who died hours later.
Claire Biggs, 27, from Newham, east London, repeatedly crushed her son Rhys, fracturing 17 of his ribs.
Biggs was found guilty of assault and her partner Paul Husband, 33, was found guilty of neglect.
Inner London Crown Court heard that Biggs previously had a daughter who was taken into care in 2001.
Because the cause of Rhys's death in May 2006 could not be established, the pair could only be charged with child cruelty.
Biggs, a former crack addict, had denied the charges and claimed her boyfriend was "a murderer".
Husband also denied the charges and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
In addition to having his chest repeatedly crushed, the infant also suffered a broken wrist and shoulder.
Medical experts told the court that "severe" force must have been used with each action, which would have caused "extreme pain".
The case has several parallels with the shocking abuse suffered by Baby P, as the attacks went unnoticed by health workers despite the mother's history.
Against a backdrop of missed opportunities by health agencies and a breakdown in information sharing, she was able to repeatedly crush the helpless child's chest with impunity, fracturing 17 ribs.
Biggs admitted her helpless son - whose blood-spattered clothes were found throughout their one-bedroom flat - once spent eight hours screaming in agony.
During his short life Rhys came under the care of two London councils, first Newham, where he died, and Camden where his mother had spent time in a refuge.
Apart from the mistakes made by the authorities, Biggs dodged a number of pre-arranged appointments.
When one did finally take place, a health visitor described Rhys as "active and alert", while a senior paediatric physiotherapist who checked his club foot noted no "abnormal marks".
Claire Biggs, 27, from Newham, east London, repeatedly crushed her son Rhys, fracturing 17 of his ribs.
Biggs was found guilty of assault and her partner Paul Husband, 33, was found guilty of neglect.
Inner London Crown Court heard that Biggs previously had a daughter who was taken into care in 2001.
Because the cause of Rhys's death in May 2006 could not be established, the pair could only be charged with child cruelty.
Biggs, a former crack addict, had denied the charges and claimed her boyfriend was "a murderer".
Husband also denied the charges and is due to be sentenced at a later date.
In addition to having his chest repeatedly crushed, the infant also suffered a broken wrist and shoulder.
Medical experts told the court that "severe" force must have been used with each action, which would have caused "extreme pain".
The case has several parallels with the shocking abuse suffered by Baby P, as the attacks went unnoticed by health workers despite the mother's history.
Against a backdrop of missed opportunities by health agencies and a breakdown in information sharing, she was able to repeatedly crush the helpless child's chest with impunity, fracturing 17 ribs.
Biggs admitted her helpless son - whose blood-spattered clothes were found throughout their one-bedroom flat - once spent eight hours screaming in agony.
During his short life Rhys came under the care of two London councils, first Newham, where he died, and Camden where his mother had spent time in a refuge.
Apart from the mistakes made by the authorities, Biggs dodged a number of pre-arranged appointments.
When one did finally take place, a health visitor described Rhys as "active and alert", while a senior paediatric physiotherapist who checked his club foot noted no "abnormal marks".