A mum killed her two-month-old baby girl by crushing the infant’s chest “mostly likely” to stop her crying, a prosecutor has claimed.
Abigail Palmer, 33, is accused of fracturing her daughter Teri-Rae’s ribs, and jurors were told it was a “deliberate” injury that “caused or at least contributed” to the newborn’s death.
A skeletal examination found the baby, who was subject of a child protection plan, had old and fresh rib fractures after she died in January 2017, Birmingham Crown Court was told.
Palmer, of Solihull, West Midlands, claims she took a nap on a sofa with her daughter lying on her chest, and when she woke up Teri-Rae was “blue and lifeless.”
The prosecution however claims the rib fractures were deliberately inflicted, “most likely to silence her crying”.
Palmer denied manslaughter and three charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm.
Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, said Palmer was facing possible care proceedings after testing positive for cocaine while pregnant.
The court heard that on the afternoon of January 2, 2017, Palmer had dialled 999 over her daughter, but attempts to resuscitate the baby failed.