Birmingham man jailed for life for murdering toddler

21-month-old Lilly Hanrahan was rushed to hospital with a catastrophic head injury and broken ribs in November 2017.

Although surgeons battled to save her, her life support had to be withdrawn three days later.

After being cared for by her grandmother when she was first born, Lilly was placed with a legal guardian at four months old, and continued to thrive.

In Spring 2017, the guardian began a relationship with Sean Sadler. It wasn’t long before the guardian began to notice bruises on Lilly, and alerted Lilly’s nursery so they could monitor her.

On the afternoon of Sunday 19 November 2017, Lilly was left in Sadler’s care while the guardian went out.

Sadler alleges that Lilly went to sleep on the settee, but sometime later she would not wake when he tried to rouse her, so he called an ambulance.

Experts believe her injuries were non-accidental and the likely cause was that Lilly had been violently shaken and thrown against a soft surface, such as the armrest of a settee.

During Sadler's trial at Birmingham Crown Court, the jury heard from expert witnesses who testified that they found multiple sites of recent and healing injuries on Lilly’s small body.

They found a total of 40 injuries, including 20 to her head and neck and the rest to her body and limbs. They were considered to be consistent with gripping with excessive force or being slapped.

Detective Sergeant Al Darby, from the force’s homicide unit, said: “The death of a child is the most tragic of events and in these circumstances is shocking and incomprehensible.

“It has taken three years to bring Sadler to justice and I thank the medical experts for their diligence and tenacity in examining the evidence and putting it before the jury.

“I hope today’s verdict brings some solace to Lilly’s family – my thoughts are with them.”

Sadler, 31, from Coriander Close in Rubery, will serve at least 20 years in prison.