Star Hobson’s mother has sentence for allowing toddler’s death increased

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Tom Little QC, for the Attorney General’s Office, said the original judge had found Smith to be a “neglectful and cruel parent who thought only of her own interests”. Mr Little said: “The judge placed the most weight on the loss of Star as a part of mitigation… there can be no doubt about that.” He added: “This was not a case where the offender was so racked with guilt and pleaded guilty at the very first opportunity, remorseful from the outset about the loss, to be a significant point in the offender’s favour.” The barrister said the sentencing judge also did not refer to Star’s vulnerability or to the at least 11-minute delay in calling 999 after she suffered the fatal injuries. Mr Ali said: “She expressly said how sorry she was for her cruelty and neglect.” He added: “This case was permeated by domestic violence – she was physically abused by Brockwell on several occasions.” 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. “In our judgment no less a sentence than 12 years would meet the justice of this case.” The judge said Star was “particularly vulnerable due to her very young age”, and that “self-evidently, Miss Smith was in a position of trust”.