Father who murdered five-week-old daughter after inflicting greater than 40 fractures and mind damage jailed for all times

A father has been jailed for life for murdering his five-week-old daughter after his repeated assaults left her with a catastrophic brain injury and more than 40 fractures.

Sean Jefferson, 35, claimed he had lost his temper when he attacked baby Darcy-Leigh Jefferson, who suffered scores of fractures to her ribs and both her legs in the days before she died in March 2022. 

He was found guilty last month of murder and two counts of grievous bodily harm following a seven-week trial at Stafford Crown Court. 

In police bodycam footage released following his conviction, Jefferson could be heard whinging that his handcuffs were too tight when he was arrested by officers. 

Jefferson was today jailed for at least 22 years, while Darcy-Leigh’s cocaine-taking mother, Amy Clark, 34, was sentenced to seven years. 

Clark had been found  guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of causing or allowing serious harm to a child after charges of murder and manslaughter against her were dropped by prosecutors during the trial.

A woman in the public gallery called Clark ‘scum’ when her sentence was passed by the judge.

Sentencing Jefferson, of Birch Court, Walsall, Mrs Justice Brunner KC said: ‘The death of a young child is a terrible tragedy. Darcy-Leigh should have had a long life being loved by her family and friends.

‘You have deprived her of her life and you have deprived others the pleasure of getting to know her and sharing their life.’

She added: ‘As her father, you had significant caring responsibilities and you were a person she was entitled to look to for love and protection.’

The judge said she was satisfied that Jefferson lost his temper when he inflicted the injuries on his baby.

Darcy died at just five weeks old two days after collapsing at home – she had sustained a catastrophic brain injury, 47 rib fractures and fractures to both legs

Jefferson was found guilty of murder and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent at Stafford Crown Court last month

Amy Leigh Clark, of Lichfield, Staffordshire was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and two counts of causing or allowing serious harm to a child

The trial heard Darcy-Leigh, who was born five weeks premature on February 20 2022, had been ‘physically assaulted on a repeated basis’ and had a total of 47 rib fractures when she died of a brain injury two days after being taken to hospital on March 27 that year.

When Darcy-Leigh was born by caesarean section just weeks before, she weighed about four pounds.

Prosecution counsel Harpreet Sandhu KC said the ‘catastrophic’ injury to Darcy-Leigh’s head had been caused by her being shaken violently or having her head struck against a surface.

The court heard the fatal attack must have taken place between 7am and 7.18am on March 27 after Jefferson took Darcy-Leigh downstairs at their former home in Hudson Drive in Burntwood, Staffordshire.

Richard Atkins KC, defending Jefferson, said the murder was not premeditated, adding: ‘What happened would have happened through temper and frustration.’

During the trial, Mr Sandhu told the jury Clark was living at a ‘tidy and well-presented’ home and gave the impression of being a mother who was in control while hiding the fact she took cocaine and drank a lot of alcohol.

In September 2021, while Clark, of Enots Close, Lichfield, was pregnant, Jefferson sent her a message threatening to ‘put you 6ft underground’ if she killed her baby through drinking.

Jefferson was also a drug user, smoking cannabis in the garage during a ‘volatile’ relationship said to be characterised by consistent arguments and aggression.

Sean Jefferson, 35, of Walsall, West Midlands, complained handcuffs that were placed on him were too tight and threatened to report two police officers during his fourth arrest in May 2024

In footage released by Staffordshire Police, Jefferson is captured on doorbell footage while on the phone to emergency services following Darcy’s collapse

Defence counsel for Clark, Tom Walkling KC, said of the mother: ‘She’s herself a victim of Sean Jefferson’s offending. She is a mother whose baby was murdered by someone else.

‘We say that’s significant personal mitigation and is reflected in her genuine grief following the loss of her baby and her genuine remorse for her failures to recognise and notice the risk that Darcy was in.’

Darcy-Leigh was seen by professionals many times, but they may have been unaware that she should have been registered on a child protection information sharing system.

The trial had been told Darcy-Leigh, who was subject to social services’ involvement, was not registered on the system due to an error.

Speaking outside court after the sentencing, Detective Chief Inspector Ian Fitzgerald, of Staffordshire Police, said: ‘This was a sustained and merciless abuse of a defenceless baby by the very people who were meant to protect her.

‘Darcy was violently assaulted again and again. Her father murdered her, her mother allowed the abuse to continue until it killed her. Their actions represent an appalling betrayal of parental responsibility.

‘Jefferson will now spend a significant part of his life in prison but no sentence can ever reflect the cruelty inflicted on Darcy, or repair the devastation left behind.’