Tragic Star Hobson’s mum has prison sentence for allowing toddler's death increased
15.03.2022 - 16:17
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
Star Hobson’s mother has had her eight-year jail term for her role in her 16-month-old daughter’s death increased by Court of Appeal judges.
Frankie Smith, 20, was jailed at Bradford Crown Court in December last year for causing or allowing the toddler’s death, who was killed by Smith’s former partner Savannah Brockhill.
Senior judges considered whether to increase Smith’s sentence at a hearing today after it was referred to the court by the Attorney General’s Office under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme, HullLive reports.
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Three senior judges increased her sentence to 12 years’ detention.
Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mr Justice Jeremy Baker, found that the sentencing judge was wrong to reduce Smith’s sentence from the starting point based on mitigation, including of her losing her daughter.
“On the facts of this case, where Miss Smith had treated Star with such cruelty… the judge was wrong to identify this as a mitigating feature and then give it the weight she did.”
Dame Victoria continued: “There was little, if any, to be said in mitigation.
“In our judgment no less a sentence than 12 years would meet the justice of this case.”
Star died after she was taken to hospital in September 2020, having suffered “utterly catastrophic” and “unsurvivable” injuries at Brockhill’s hands.
Brockhill, 28, a bouncer and security guard, was found guilty of Star’s murder, while Smith was found guilty of causing or allowing her death following a trial at Bradford Crown Court. During the trial, jurors heard Smith’s family and friends had growing fears about bruising they saw on the little girl