Sentence for murdered toddler's mother could be reviewed
The Attorney General's Office has been asked to look at the sentence given to Frankie Smith, the mother of murdered toddler Star Hobson
There could be a review of the sentence given to the mother of murdered toddler Star Hobson, under the unduly lenient scheme.
Frankie Smith was sentenced to eight years in jail for allowing Star's death after her partner, Savannah Brockhill, murdered the 16-month-old girl.
The Attorney General's Office has confirmed it's received a request to review the sentences after the conclusion of their trial.
A spokesperson for the office said: "We have received a request for these sentences to be considered under the unduly lenient sentence (ULS) scheme.
"The law officers have 28 days from sentencing to consider the case and make a decision."
Questions over the role of social services
Star's great-grandfather, David Fawcett, has led the questioning over why social services and police did not act despite five different family members and friends raising concerns with the authorities in the eight months before she died.
Sentencing Brockhill, 28, and Smith, 20, at Bradford Crown Court on Wednesday, the judge, Mrs Justice Lambert, praised Mr Fawcett and other family members for the support they offered Star but which was pushed away.
She said: "Those who loved Star are as bewildered as they are angry and sad at all that has been lost."
She told the pair: "(Star) was 16 months when she was murdered.
"Her short life was marked by neglect, cruelty and injury.
"She was murdered by you, Savannah Brockhill. Frankie Smith, it was your role as her mother to protect Star from harm."
The judge said the "fatal punch or kick" to Star caused the toddler to lose half the blood in her body and damaged her internal organs.
"The level of force required to inflict these injuries must have been massive - similar to those forces associated with a road traffic accident," she said.
"Only you both know what triggered that fatal assault.
"The violent attack which led to Star's death was not, however, an isolated event."
The judge said Star was also found to have suffered two brain injuries, numerous rib fractures, the fracture and refracture of her leg, and a skull fracture.
"She was also treated with, at best, callous indifference by you both and, on many occasions, with frank cruelty."
Mrs Justice Lambert pointed to footage shown many times during the trial of Star "clearly desperately in need of sleep" falling off her chair and "dangerously hitting her head on the floor".
She said both defendants filmed the incident and "you both found this funny".
"The question which those who have watched the evidence unfold will be asking is why anyone would or could behave in such a way towards a young and vulnerable child who should be cherished and protected rather than abused and neglected.
"The answer to that question is clear to me.
"Star was caught up in the crossfire of your relationship."
The Bradford Partnership, which includes the agencies that had contact with Star during her short life, said on Tuesday: "We need to fully understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed."
The safeguarding partnership said a review into the case will be published next month, but it "deeply regrets" that "not all the warning signs" were spotted.