Childminder gets three years for manslaughter

A COUPLE said last night they would never forgive the childminder who shook their baby daughter to death in a fit of frustration.

Ruth and Mark Sheppard, mother and father of 11-month-old Maeve, spoke out as Keran Henderson, aged 42, was beginning a three-year jail sentence for their daughter’s manslaughter. Henderson — who had appeared “trustworthy” to the Sheppards — was in sole charge of Maeve when she “snapped” and killed her.

A jury at Reading Crown Court convicted the mother of two of manslaughter by a majority of 10 to two after deliberating for more than 12 hours at the end of a five-week trial.

The Sheppards said in a joint statement: “We will never be able to forgive this woman.”

On the morning of March 2, 2005, emergency services were called and Maeve was rushed to hospital. Doctors fought to save her but her life support machine was turned off following a short christening ceremony.

Ms Sheppard wrote a victim impact statement, that the judge asked her not to read out for fear of unrest in the gallery from Henderson’s family, who reacted angrily to the verdict.

In the statement obtained after the case, Ms Sheppard said: “I heard Keran Henderson asked, whilst giving her evidence, if she had a chance to say goodbye to her son after her arrest in November 2006 and she replied ‘yes’. My heart sank, I thought: ‘At least you had the chance to say goodbye’.

“Keran Henderson not only took my daughter’s life away, but she took away our right as her parents to grieve, to mourn and remember her in any other way than with pain and anguish. She took away our right to say goodbye to Maeve.”

Ms Sheppard told of her “extreme anger” at seeing Henderson being afforded “special dispensation” and being allowed to sit with her lawyer and not in the dock. Henderson howled uncontrollably as Mr Justice Keith jailed her.

She was hired in January 2005. Maeve was taken to hospital critically ill with brain injuries two months later.

During the trial, 12 medical experts claimed the injuries Maeve suffered could only have been caused by violent shaking. Her neck ligaments were “over-extended” indicating her neck had snapped back and forth, the court heard.

But Henderson, who had seven years’ experience as a childminder, claimed Maeve had a seizure while she was changing her nappy. A defence witness said the injuries could have been days, weeks or even months old.