Couple convicted of abusing baby after ‘monstrous act’ left child permanently disabled

Warning: Distressing content contained in this report

A COUPLE has been convicted of abusing a baby girl who was left “profoundly disabled” by the injuries she sustained.

Tom Kember, 27, from Taunton, was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm, while Katherine Reilly, 25, was found guilty of child cruelty.

The pair, who both hail from Taunton in Somerset, had both denied the charges against them but were convicted unanimously by a jury yesterday (October 30), after a five-week trial at Bristol Crown Court.

In sentencing Judge Julian Lambert described the abuse inflicted on the baby as a “monstrous act”.

The court heard that the baby girl was born prematurely in 2019 and just 10 days after being discharged from hospital, on January 14, 2020, an ambulance was called to an address in Taunton as she was unresponsive.

Ambulance staff noted bruising on her temples and raised their concerns with Musgrove Park Hospital staff.

The court heard that Kember and Reilly left the hospital while the baby was still being treated and started packing up her things.

Expert medical evidence presented to the court by the prosecution stated the child’s injuries were of a level previously seen in high-speed traffic collisions or falls from one storey height and would not have been caused by a domestic accident.

The jury was told that on January 12, 2020 Kember searched online for “what happend aif u (sic) hit a baby’s face” and “can a baby be sick if it gets hit”.

At 10.45pm the next day, while at a fast-food restaurant with Reilly and the baby, Kember searched online for terms such as “if baby hits its head does the baby sleep a lot”.

It was not until about 1.20am on January 14, that Kember called 111.

The child, now four, has been adopted by the foster parents who have been caring for her since she was four months old and in hospital.

The traumatic brain injury has left her non-verbal, with significant visual impairment, multiple daily seizures and other complex needs.

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Doxsey, of Avon and Somerset Police, who led the investigation, said: “This has been a distressing case for all involved. A helpless baby has been abused by adults who were more concerned with avoiding the consequences of their actions than with seeking medical help for her.

“It is tragic to reflect that having been born at 31 weeks she was readmitted to hospital with these terrible injuries before her due date.

“I would like to pay tribute to the medical staff who helped to ensure this little girl’s remarkable survival, and the family who are now providing her with such love and care.”

Kember has been remanded in custody and Reilly has been bailed pending sentence, which is currently scheduled for January 24, 2025.