Dad denies deliberately causing 'catastrophic' injuries that killed baby

MAN ON TRIAL FOR MURDER AFTER ADMITTING MANSLAUGHTER

- By STANLEY MURPHY-JOHNS

A FATHER showed “little emotion” after shaking his baby daughter so hard he caused “catastrophic” brain injuries which led to her death, a court heard this week.

Thomas Holford, 24, is accused of murdering his daughter Everleigh Stroud, who died at the age of 14 months after “excessive and severe” shaking led to brain and bone injuries when she was just five weeks old.

Everleigh was rushed to the Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate after her grandmother reported she was “only just” breathing on the morning of April 20, 2021.

On Tuesday, jurors at Canterbury Crown Court heard that police found Holford sitting passively gaming on his phone at home while his daughter and partner were in the ambulance.

Along with brain injuries which left her in a vegetative state, Everleigh also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes which lead to her going blind, and injuries to her anus. The court heard that she had spent the night before in her father's care.

Everleigh, who was born on March 13, 2021, spent more than a year in a vegetative state before she died on May 27, 2022.

Holford, of Ramsgate, pleaded guilty to manslaughter in November last year, but denies murder. He also denies actual bodily harm caused around the same time to Everleigh’s anus.