- CPS had felt there wasn't enough evidence to prosecute Lesley Dunford
- In 2009 East Sussex coroner Alan Craze demanded the case was revisited
- Lucy Dunford was found with bruises on neck and shoulder in 2004
- Jury convict her mother of inflicting fatal injuries on the three-year-old
- Three post mortems ruled youngster had died from asphyxia caused by the forced blockage of her airways
By Leon Watson and Chris Parsons
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Lesley Dunford was onvicted of the manslaughter of her three-year-old daughter after an inquest into the 2004 death was dramatically halted by a coroner
A 'remorseless' mother jailed for killing her three-year-old daughter had laughed and joked as the young girl lay dying in hospital, it emerged today.
Lesley Dunford, 33, was yesterday convicted of the manslaughter of her young daughter Lucy in 2004, eight years after a coroner dramatically halted the youngster's inquest.
Dunford, jailed for seven years yesterday, suffocated Lucy just six months after her seven-month-old son Harvey died in an apparent cot death, a court heard.
But it emerged today that Dunford laughed and joked with her youngest daughter just minutes after medics said they were losing the battle save Lucy.
The mother also telephoned a vicar and her husband before calling for an ambulance for her stricken daughter, according to The Sun.
Dunford's daughter Lucy was found with cuts and bruises on her neck and shoulders at the family home in Camber, East Sussex, in February 2004.
The three-year-old was rushed to Conquest Hospital in Hastings but could not be saved.
After conflicting post mortem reports, Dunford was arrested two days after Lucy's death, but a lack of evidence saw prosecutors drop the case.
She was rearrested when a coroner dramatically halted the youngster's inquest and forced police to reopen the investigation.
A judge told Dunford she had gone from 'carer to killer' when she inflicted fatal injuries on her young daughter in 2004.
A jury at Lewes Crown Court convicted Dunford of manslaughter but cleared her of murder.
Sentencing yesterday Judge Richard Brown said: 'The jury have convicted you of manslaughter of your three-year-old daughter Lucy.
'It may well be you are the only one who knows exactly what happened on that dreadful day in 04 which took you from carer to killer.
'Since then you have done your level best to lie your way out of any responsibility.
'This indicates you have little or no remorse for what you did.'
An original post mortem found that Lucy may have died from a sudden onset of a bacterial infection which led to her choking on her own vomit.
Dunford's house in Camber, East Sussex, where her daughter Lucy was found dead in her bed
However, during a second examination this was disputed and the idea put forward that suspicious bruising on the tot's upper body may mean her airways had been compressed forcefully.
At the time Dunford claimed her daughter had been 'perfectly fine' earlier in the day but that she had been tired so she had put her to bed - she later told paramedics she thought her daughter had had a 'fit'.
After she had found her daughter Dunfold refused to ring the emergency services until she had spoken to her husband - whom she told 'it's happened again' in reference to Lucy's younger brother Harley who had been found dead in his cot six months previously.
Describing how Dunford later joked about her daughter in hospital, nurse Caroline Simpson, who was in a waiting room with the mother, said: 'The girl put a paper cup of water to her mouth but it spilled down her front.
'The mum said, "She's always doing that". She appeared to find it quite hilarious.'
Paramedics at Conquest Hospital in Hastings noticed two marks on her neck which had started to bruise and requested the attendance of police at the hospital.
Dunford was arrested in February 2004 and interviewed by police then and again in May.
Her case was passed to the Crown Prosecution Service who decided there was not enough evidence to charge Dunford with the murder of Lucy.
'This was a difficult and complex case that involved evidence from a number of medical experts.'
Simon Ringrose, CPS
But during her inquest in 2009 East Sussex coroner Alan Craze demanded the case was revisited.
The inquest threw up new information which had been given by medical experts in 2005 during a Family Court hearing into Lucy's death.
This information had not been passed on to the CPS. Dunford was then rearrested and charged in July 2011.
Prosecutor Sally Howes QC said during the trial that the inquest had 'excluded the likelihood' of a serious infection and found that injuries to the airways were consistent with an 'application of force'.
On July 12, 2011, Dunford was therefore rearrested and Ms Howes said she told officers: 'I have been waiting for this to happen.'
Dunford, 33, was arrested in February 2004 and interview by police then and again in May
During his sentencing Judge Brown told the court he took into account Dunford's 'childlike manner' and the 'long delay' in bringing the trial to court.
However he said courts have a duty to 'protect little people like Lucy from violence'.
Speaking afterwards, Detective Chief Inspector Nick Sloan, of the Surrey and Sussex Major Crime Team, said: 'There was a thorough police investigation at the time but the forensic evidence then did not support a prosecution.
'The death of Lucy was immediately treated as suspicious by Sussex Police. Her mother was arrested and interviewed and there was a thorough investigation.
'However, based on the information available at the time, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) decision was that there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecution.
'The CPS decision turned largely on reports from two pathologists, which were conflicting.'
Simon Ringrose, of the CPS, said: 'This was a difficult and complex case that involved evidence from a number of medical experts.
'The reinvestigation into the circumstances of Lucy Dunford's death included obtaining further medical evidence.
'This evidence effectively ruled out a natural cause of death and was consistent with Lucy having been suffocated.
'The only person who could have done this was her mother, Lesley Dunford.'
After the sentencing Wayne Dunford declined to comment.
Source: www.dailymail.co.uk
Kent lose out to Essex in thrilling style - Kent News
Kent's Sam Billings. Picture by Ady Kerry.
Greg Miles, Twitter: @greg_KOS_sport
Thursday, June 21, 2012
10:59 AM
Last over drama sees Spitfires lose by three runs
Kent looked on course for victory over rivals Essex in the t20 until a collapse of wickets led to a thrilling run chase in the final overs.
Essex hit 158 for 6 in their 20 overs, which wasn’t an unreachable target.
And Jimmy Adams’s side looked on course for victory until the 17th over, when they were 118 for three, but Greg Smith took five wickets in two overs as Kent could only add another 37 runs, falling just four short of victory in the final over.
A six-run penalty against Essex for a slow over-rate moved Kent’s chase closer but with four needed to win off the final ball, Graham Napier bowled last man Mark Davies.
Kent were initially on the backfoot on 23 for two with David Masters taking the wickets of Rob Key, and Azhar Mahmood early on. Sam Billings and Brendan Nash shared a fourth-wicket stand of 54 in seven overs to steady the ship.
But then came Smith’s contribution, first he took Billings for 59, and Nash in successive deliveries. Then Geraint Jones went for one, and Sam Northeast, after two sixes, and Matt Coles were also dismissed.
With Kent needing four runs to win on the final ball Davies was bowled by Napier.
Source: www.kentnews.co.uk
London amongst the most congested cities in Europe - The Independent
London, Manchester and Liverpool were all among the most congested cities in Europe last year, statistics from traffic information company INRIX showed.
Based on rush-hour commute-to-city travel in 2011, the figures revealed that UK drivers spent 32 hours of the year stuck in traffic, although this was four hours less than in 2010.
Heading the congestion list last year was Belgium where drivers wasted 55 hours in traffic. The Netherlands was the next-worst country for jams, followed by Italy.
The INRIX figures also showed that in the London commuter zone last year, drivers wasted 66 hours in traffic, with the Greater Manchester figure being 45 hours and Liverpool being 39 hours.
The worst time for congestion in London was Friday from 4pm to 5pm, while Greater Manchester's worst time was Tuesday from 9am to 10am, with Liverpool's jams being at their worst between 4pm and 5pm on Wednesdays.
Nationwide, the worst time to be on the roads was in London between 4pm and 5pm, when it took an average of 33% longer to complete a journey than in uncongested conditions.
Overall, a journey along a UK major motorway during peak-time driving hours took, on average, 17% longer than in jam-free conditions.
All 18 UK cities analysed had fewer jams last year than in 2010, with Friday being the worst traffic day and Tuesday being the worst weekday morning.
The best weekday for traffic in the UK last year was Monday, with the worst commuting hour being 9am to 10am on Tuesdays and the best being 7am to 8am on Fridays.
Among UK cities, the biggest decline in hours wasted in traffic last year was in Birmingham, where drivers spent eight hours less in queues than in 2010.
Londoners spent seven hours less, with drivers in Newcastle upon Tyne, Nottingham and Glasgow all spending five hours less.
For European countries, the biggest drops in congestion between 2010 and 2011 were in Portugal (down 49%), Ireland (down 25%), Spain (down 12%) and Italy (down 12%).
INRIX Europe senior vice president Stuart Marks said: "So goes traffic, so goes the economy.
"Traffic congestion is an excellent economic indicator telling us whether people are going to work, businesses are shipping products and consumers are spending money."
These were the 10 most congested areas in the UK in terms of hours drivers spent stuck in traffic in 2011:
1. London commuter zone 66
2. Greater Manchester 45
3. Liverpool 39
4. Birmingham 34
5= Belfast-Lisburn 33
5= Newcastle upon Tyne 33
7. South Nottinghamshire 32
8. Leeds-Bradford-Harrogate 30
9= Sheffield 29
9= Edinburgh-Lothian 29
Source: www.independent.co.uk
London 2012 Olympics: Andy Murray selected for Team GB tennis squad - Daily Telegraph
The final takes place on August 5, and Murray will hope to still be in the competition, if only to keep up a rich tradition of success.
Team GB top the all-time Olympic tennis medals table, having accumulated 16 gold, 13 silver and 16 bronze medals between 1896 and 1924.
The sport did not feature on the Olympic programme for the next 64 years, but Tim Henman and Neil Broad returned Team GB to the podium with a men’s doubles silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Games.
“I can't wait for the Olympics to start, it's such an incredible event and for it to be in London is extra special," said Murray.
"I remember being part of the Olympic ceremony in Beijing, which was an unbelievable atmosphere and like nothing I'd experienced before.
"Winning a medal this summer for Team GB is one of my major goals.”
Source: www.telegraph.co.uk
I can understand how the death of a child may send you over the edge, but surely it also makes you even more protective of your remaining children? The woman sounds like a complete nutcase. Very sad for all her children.
- Tiger, London, 21/6/2012 10:41
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