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Babysitter who allowed boyfriend to beat baby to death is jailed

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Babysitter who allowed boyfriend to beat baby to death is jailed

Ella-Rose Clover was systematically abused and beaten by Michael Wild, who was supposed to be looking after her while her mother was at work 

A babysitter who allowed her boyfriend to beat her 22-month-old goddaughter to death has today been jailed for five years. 

Sharleen Hughes, 36, had been trusted to look after her goddaughter Ella-Rose Clover while her mother Pagan Clover was at work. 

But Hughes’ boyfriend Michael Wild, 30, repeatedly beat the toddler over a period of around four months, eventually punching little Ella-Rose so hard in the abdomen that he killed her.

Mother-of-two Hughes, from Rochdale, told paramedics and police that she had been at home when Ella-Rose was killed on January 21 last year and encouraged Wild, her 12-year-old son and his friend to support her lie.

Opportunities to prevent Ella-Rose’s death had been missed because doctors believed there was a medical explanation for her bruises and injuries, the court heard. 

Hughes took Ella-Rose to hospital and accompanied her mother on other visits as they tried to get to the bottom of her injuries.    

Wild was given a life sentence at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday after he was found guilty of the murder of Ella-Rose following an eight-week trial.   

Hughes was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of perverting the course of justice.

As he sentenced her to five years in prison, a judge told Hughes she should have been aware of the risk Wild posed to Ella-Rose. 

Michael Wild, 30, assaulted Ella-Rose Clover on numerous occasions when she was left in the care of him and his partner – Ella-Rose’s godmother – Sharleen Hughes

Ella-Rose had been admitted to hospital five times, with ‘worrying symptoms of swelling and bruising around her face’

Single mother Miss Clover, 26, often left her daughter with Hughes, her cousin, at their home in Wythenshawe, Manchester the court heard.

Hughes had gone out for two hours to collect her son and his friend from the Trafford Centre and left Ella-Rose alone with Wild. 

In a fit of temper he repeatedly punched her in the abdomen because he had to change her nappy.

When Hughes came back Ella-Rose was dead or dying on the couch and dialled 999 and tried to resuscitate her until paramedics arrived.

But she was declared dead in Wythenshawe Hospital shortly afterwards from internal bleeding and cardiac arrest.

Wild, 30, was jailed for life on Monday after being convicted of murder and ordered to spend a minimum term of 20 years behind bars.

Mr Justice King, QC told Hughes: ‘You like those professionals were blinded by the belief that an unknown non-traumatic medical condition was the cause of those injuries when the truth was staring you and the professionals, had they properly investigated matters, in the face.

‘There were just too many such injuries and just too many occasions of such incidents for you not to be ultimately in a position when you ought to have been aware of the significant risk of serious physical harm posed to Ella-Rose by Michael Wild.

‘Yours was in fact a serious case of criminal negligence which has resulted in the death of a child.’

Hughes told paramedics and police that she had been at home all the time and not left Ella-Rose alone with Wild. 

Little Ella-Rose Clover with her mother, Pagan Clover. Ms Clover struggled to put into words the impact her daughter’s murder has had on her life

The judge said she was ‘trying to protect and cover up for Wild and divert the attention of police from her own role in what had happened through leaving Ella-Rose alone with him.’

Her son’s friend did not go along with the lies and told police the truth. 

Detectives had also checked her mobile phone and CCTV and ANPR images showing her movements.

When confronted with the evidence Hughes ‘came clean’ admitting the truth about her movements that day.

Mr Justice King said that ‘the sad reality’ was that if Hughes had taken Ella-Rose out with her that day she would not have been killed. 

Ms Clover said her daughter completed her ‘little family’ when she was born

Police at the scene in Wythenshawe, south Manchester, in January 2018, when 22-month-old Ella-Rose Clover was found

The judge added: ‘There is the overwhelming grief and loss and bereavement which your failure has wreaked upon your cousin and friend Pagan and her family through the loss of her baby.

‘There is the second tragedy in the case and it involves yourself.

‘I have no doubt you were a loving ‘mother’ for Ella-Rose whenever you had her in your care. The evidence was overwhelmingly that you actually loved Ella-Rose and she loved you. Prior to that fateful Sunday you did take care to provide for her every need.

‘Pagan trusted you to take care of that her baby came to no harm while in your care. By the jury’s verdict you on January 21 betrayed that trust.’ 

Michael Hayton, QC, defending, said that Hughes has no previous convictions and has two sons, aged 14 and 17, from whom she will be separated. 

On her release she will have restrictions applying to her contact with the younger boy.

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