A profoundly disturbing final photograph of two-year-old Star Hobson, captured just weeks before her tragic death, has been revealed during the murder trial at Bradford Crown Court. The image shows the blonde-haired toddler smiling innocently, a stark contrast to the horrific injuries she ultimately sustained.
The child's mother, Frankie Smith, 20, and her partner, Savannah Brockhill, 28, stand accused of murdering the little girl in September 2021. Prosecutors allege a campaign of "cruel and systematic" abuse led to Star's untimely death.
A Life Cut Short
Jurors were told that emergency services discovered Star lifeless at her home in Keighley, West Yorkshire. Despite frantic efforts to save her, she was pronounced dead shortly after arrival at the hospital. A post-mortem examination concluded she died from catastrophic internal injuries, comparable to those seen in a high-speed car crash.
The court heard harrowing details of the abuse Star allegedly endured in the weeks leading up to her death, including multiple incidents of violence that were reportedly witnessed and reported to authorities.
Missed Opportunities?
The trial has cast a harsh spotlight on the child protection services involved with Star's family. It emerged that concerned family friends and even the toddler's own great-grandfather had contacted social services on five separate occasions, voicing serious fears for her welfare.
Each time, these warnings were allegedly dismissed after Smith and Brockhill provided plausible explanations, convincing social workers that there was no immediate danger. This has prompted a serious case review to investigate potential failings in the system.
The Defendants' Stories
Brockhill, a security guard, denies murder, claiming Star's fatal injuries were caused by a fall down the stairs. Smith denies both murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. The prosecution, however, paints a picture of a household where the toddler was subjected to relentless cruelty by Brockhill, with Smith allegedly failing to protect her own daughter.
The trial continues as the jury examines the complex and tragic circumstances surrounding the death of a child whose smile, frozen in time, belied the suffering she endured.
