Baby killer gets life
Two week old baby killed by father.
A man who killed his two-week-old daughter has been jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 25 years. Matthew Higham of Shaw Road South, pleaded guilty to murder at Preston Crown Court today.
On Wednesday 29th July 2015 Higham collected his daughter, Florence Mae Collins, from her grandparents’ house and took her home to his house on Shaw Road South. A few hours later, at around 8.06pm, Higham made a call to 999 requesting an ambulance for his daughter, stating that she had started to bleed and have a fit as he was feeding her a bottle. Paramedics arrived and noticed that Florence had several injuries, including bruising to her head and face. She was immediately rushed to Stepping Hill Hospital, where despite sustained life preservation treatment from doctors, Florence was sadly pronounced dead as a result of her injuries. Higham was arrested the next day following an investigation by Greater Manchester Police. A home office post mortem revealed that Florence had died as a result of a catalogue of injuries including multiple fractures to her skull and body, injuries ‘for which there could be no innocent explanation’ according to the coroner. Senior Investigating Officer Duncan Thorpe said: “This has to be one of the most heart-wrenching cases I have ever encountered. “A young girl, barely two weeks after her birth, was snatched away from a loving mother, siblings and grandparents by the actions of a man who can only be described as barbaric. “The facts of this case are almost incomprehensible. “It is almost impossible to believe that anyone could subject a tiny baby to such a disgusting attack, let alone her own father. “The Home Office Post Mortem report revealed the extent of Higham’s assault and it was truly shocking, and Higham is fully deserving of spending the rest of his life in prison.”