{"id":21425,"date":"2022-03-16T00:16:06","date_gmt":"2022-03-16T04:16:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/?p=21425"},"modified":"2022-03-16T00:20:20","modified_gmt":"2022-03-16T04:20:20","slug":"star-hobson-murder-frankie-smiths-sentence-increased-to-12-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldjusticenews.com\/news\/2022\/03\/16\/star-hobson-murder-frankie-smiths-sentence-increased-to-12-years\/","title":{"rendered":"Star Hobson murder: Frankie Smith’s sentence increased to 12 years"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The mother of murdered toddler Star Hobson has had her sentence for causing or allowing her daughter’s death increased to 12 years.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Frankie Smith, 20, was handed an eight-year term at Bradford Crown Court in December.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Attorney General Suella Braverman said this was “unduly lenient” and referred the sentence to the Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Three senior judges considered the case and extended the original term by four years.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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A seven-week trial heard Star had endured a campaign of physical and psychological abuse<\/a>\u00a0at the hands of Smith and her partner, Savannah Brockhill, 28, who was\u00a0jailed for a minimum of 25 years for the toddler’s murder<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The original sentencing hearing was told Star was “caught in the crossfire” of the pair’s toxic relationship, resulting in her death at 16 months old from “catastrophic” blunt-force injuries.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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As she delivered the Court of Appeal’s ruling, Lady Justice Sharp said Smith’s original sentence was unduly lenient because it “did not reflect the overall seriousness of the offending”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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She said Smith had shown a “deliberate disregard” for her daughter’s welfare and had failed to take any steps to protect her, treating the toddler with “callous indifference”, cruelty and neglect.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Star<\/span><\/div>
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Star Hobson suffered a cardiac arrest as a result of catastrophic injuries and died on 22 September 2020 (Image: David Fawcett)<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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She said Smith had failed to contact the police or social services, seek medical attention or help from family members – some of whom had reported their concerns to social services after seeing Star with bruises.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Star was “particularly vulnerable due to her very young age”, the judge said, and Smith had been a neglectful parent who had remained in the relationship with Brockhill for her own “selfish” gains.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Sitting alongside Mr Justice Sweeney and Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, she said the sentencing judge had been wrong to hand Smith a lesser sentence based on mitigation such as being a victim of domestic abuse and the fact she had lost her daughter.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“In our judgment no less a sentence than 12 years would meet the justice of this case,” Mrs Justice Sharp said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Tom Little QC, representing the Attorney General’s Office, told the court the defendant had participated in “degradation of Star and sadistic behaviour”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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“This was not a case where the offender was so racked with guilt and pleaded guilty at the very first opportunity,” he said.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Little further argued Star’s vulnerability and a delay in calling 999 on the day of her death were not taken into account by sentencing judge Mrs Justice Lambert.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Savannah<\/span><\/div>
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Savannah Brockhill (left) and Frankie Smith had both denied murder and causing or allowing the death of a child<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Smith’s barrister Zafar Ali QC said it was “simply incorrect” to say she was not remorseful, and that she “broke down several occasions during the crown’s case in the trial”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He said the case had been “permeated by domestic violence” and instances of physical abuse against Smith by Brockhill, whom he described as “a very intimidating character”.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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