Norfolk man found guilty of killing his baby daughter
Christopher Easey has been found guilty of the manslaughter of Eleanor Easey
Last updated 31st Mar 2022
A Norfolk dad has been found guilty of killing his three month old baby daughter.
Eleanor Easey was just 14 weeks old when she suffered the catastrophic brain injury which led to her death.
A post mortem later found she was malnourished and had suffered more than 30 bone fractures.
Christopher Easey, 31, of Ely Road in Little Thetford had denied murder but was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Norwich Crown Court.
He was also found guilty of neglect after a 10 week trial.
Eleanor's mother Carly Easey, 36, of Elizabeth Drive in Chedburgh, was found guilty of one count of child neglect.
Both had denied six charges against them that dated from late 2019.
The court heard how Eleanor was taken to hospital after being found unresponsive at home on 18 December 2019.
A CT scan showed she'd suffered a major head injury. She died on 20 December 2019.
Detectives later launched a murder inquiry and it was discovered that Carly had concealed her pregnancy and Eleanor had spent the first few weeks of her life in hopsital in intensive care.
Health visitors later raised major concerns, after finding Eleanor had signs of scratches and bruising.
During the investigation, detectives were told the parents fed Eleanor custard cream biscuits and lemon cheesecake, gave her squash to drink and left her home alone.
Det Insp Lewis Craske, who led the investigation, said:
“My thoughts today, as they have been throughout this investigation and will always be, are with little Eleanor. She was only 14 weeks old when she died yet had 31 fractures to her fragile body and three separate bleeds on her brain.
“Eleanor’s parents, the very people who should have protected and loved her above everything and everyone else, failed her on an unimaginable scale from the moment she was born. She was neglected for much, if not all, of her short life. She deserved so much better.
“This has been a desperately sad, incredibly complex and highly emotive investigation for me and all those who have worked so very hard on bringing this case to court. I am extremely proud of and grateful for their dedication and commitment.”
Both will be sentenced on 29 April 2022.