Gloucestershire mother found guilty over death of her baby
4 month old Lexi Wilband died after collapsing at her home in April 2020.
Last updated 2nd Apr 2025
A mother has been convicted for causing the death of her 4 month old baby girl Lexi Wilband.
Melissa Wilband, 28, had denied the manslaughter of Lexi Wilband, who died after she collapsed at her home in Newent, Gloucestershire, in April 2020.
Wilband and her then partner Jack Wheeler, 31 from Ledbury in Herefordshire, both appeared on trial and denied causing or allowing the death of a child.
On April 12 , Wilband made a 111 call from the new-build council house where she lived with Wheeler and Lexi.
She claimed Lexi had stopped breathing while in her bouncer chair.
A post-mortem revealed that Lexi had suffered bleeding on her brain which was likely to have been caused by being violently shaken.
Further tests found the areas of bleeding in Lexi's eyes were "too numerous to count".
Giving evidence, Wilband denied ever shaking Lexi and said she had a "bad wrist" that meant she was physically unable to shake her.
Wheeler said he had no idea why Lexi had collapsed and denied carrying her in the bouncer chair.
She died at Bristol Children's Hospital on April 18, six days after her collapse.
A jury unanimously convicted Wilband of manslaughter and unanimously found Wheeler not guilty of the charge against him.
Mr Justice Saini adjourned sentencing of Wilband until May 22.