Disturbing footage shows Alexandra Walker smoking a cigarette reflected in a kitchen window while her two-year-old daughter Isabelle Welsh lay dying from catastrophic injuries.
Details of the case
Isabelle suffered 21 broken bones and a fatal head injury before collapsing at the family home in Thornaby. Her mother, Alexandra Walker, 26, and Walker's partner, Harrison Simpson, 22, were convicted of murder and child cruelty after a trial at Teesside Crown Court. Simpson was also found guilty of sexually assaulting the toddler. Both received life sentences.
The court heard that Isabelle became "floppy and unresponsive" on September 13 last year while in her mother's care. Simpson had been minding her that morning. Instead of calling an ambulance, Walker searched online for "why would my toddler be bleeding." She only dialed 999 after her stepfather instructed her to do so.
Judge's remarks
Judge Ms Justice Norton described the murder as the culmination of a series of assaults the pair tried to conceal. She told Walker: "I have no doubt whatsoever that your lack of urgency or concern for your child was because you wrongly believed that Isabelle was already dead, and you were working out what to do to save your own skin."
The judge noted the girl was sexually assaulted around the time of the fatal injury. CCTV cameras in the property did not record the abuse, and the judge referred to a "wall of silence." Simpson refused to answer police questions or testify, while Walker "lied from start to finish."
Background and sentencing
Walker falsely claimed higher qualifications, pretended to have breast cancer, and dealt drugs while claiming abstinence. On the night of the killing she drank 10 cans of Stella Artois. The judge called her "a fantasist and an attention-seeker" who inflicted wounds on herself before alleging assault.
Simpson received a life sentence with a minimum term of 28 years. Walker was sentenced to life with a minimum of 22 years. The judge said she considered a whole life tariff for Simpson but could not be certain the killing was sexually motivated beyond reasonable doubt because the jury acquitted Walker of sexual assault.
Family and police statements
In a statement, Isabelle's relatives said: "Isabelle should have had her whole life ahead of her, but she was taken from us in the most heartbreaking way. She was so loved and our lives will never be the same without her."
Senior investigating officer Detective Chief Inspector Steve Chatterton said: "This investigation exposed the heartbreaking and sustained abuse of a vulnerable little girl who should have been protected, loved and cared for. Instead, Isabelle suffered repeated and serious injuries over a prolonged period before ultimately losing her life as a result of a devastating attack."
