A woman has been jailed for the manslaughter of her four-month-old daughter after violently shaking her on more than one occasion.
Melissa Wilband, 28, had denied killing Lexi Wilband, but jurors found her guilty following a four-week trial at Bristol Crown Court in March this year.
The court was told that Lexi collapsed at her home in Mantley Grove, Newent, Forest of Dean on 12 April 2020. She died in hospital on 18 April 2020.
During the trial medical experts explained how Lexi had died following catastrophic brain injuries which were consistent with being shaken.
The damage caused to her brain was consistent with Lexi having been shaken at least once in the weeks or months leading up to her death, as well as on the day in question.
Today (Monday 21 July) Wilband was sentenced at Bristol Crown Court to 15 years in jail.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Saini said: “Lexi was about four months old when she died. She was a healthy baby.
“You killed Lexi by violently shaking her on the evening of Easter Sunday 12 April 2020 in the family home in Newent. Why you shook Lexi will only be known to you.
“The evidence at trial showed that the fatal shaking of Lexi that Easter Sunday was not the first time you abused her in this way.
“It is hard to imagine the pain which Lexi must have suffered as a result of both this historic violence and the violent shaking which led to her death.”
Justice Saini also commended the police investigation team saying they had dealt with the case “with great sensitivity and dignity”.
Detective Inspector Adam Stacey said: “Lexi should have had her whole life ahead of her, but that was taken away by someone who was meant to be protecting and caring for her, her mother.
“This case has been difficult and incredibly upsetting for all involved, and we have worked with the Crown Prosecution Service to ensure that Melissa Wilband is held accountable for her actions.
“She relentlessly lied to everyone – family and friends, even to medical professionals who were trying to save Lexi’s life, and continued these lies to the police and while giving evidence in court. The jury saw through these lies and she’s now facing the consequences and begins a lengthy custodial sentence.”
Wilband’s boyfriend at the time, Jack Wheeler, had also been charged with manslaughter and causing or allowing the death of a child. He was not Lexi’s biological father.
However, after both gave evidence in court, the Crown Prosecution Service offered no evidence for the manslaughter charge for 31-year-old Wheeler and the charge was removed.
On 2 April this year a jury found him not guilty of a charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.
Prosecutor Jane Osbourne KC told the court that Lexi was shaken so hard by Wilband on at least two occasions that this caused brain damage which Lexi could not recover from.
The events that evening, 12 April 2020, were described differently by Wilband and Wheeler in court, and were contradictory in parts.
It was heard how there were other aspects of Wilband’s behaviour in the months which preceded Lexi’s death which showed how it was Wilband who was responsible for her daughter’s injuries.
The jury was told how Wilband told a spiral of lies, including how she faked a paternity test to falsely claim Mr Wheeler was Lexi’s biological father. She also lied about their use of cocaine while looking after her children.
Wilband took cocaine throughout her pregnancy and afterwards – there was evidence that she took cocaine six days after Lexi was born. It was heard in court how she and Wheeler would regularly take cocaine while in bed with Lexi in her basket alongside them.
Wilband lied to medical professionals and missed several appointments. It was suggested by the prosecution that she might have missed appointments in order to prevent a doctor noticing that something was wrong with Lexi after she had been shaken.
On the night Lexi collapsed, the court was told that Wilband did not call 999 for an ambulance, but instead dialled 111 – the non-emergency NHS number.
She hung up before getting past the automated message and then phoned her father who advised her to dial 999.
However, she again dialled 111. It took over three and a half minutes from first dialling 111 for Wilband to speak with emergency services.
When paramedics attended Wilband lied to them about the circumstances that led to Lexi’s collapse. She continued to repeatedly lie to doctors at the hospital.
Shortly after her arrival at hospital Wilband messaged Mr Wheeler telling him to lie about what had happened that evening. Those messages had been deleted from Wilband’s phone but were present on Mr Wheeler’s phone.
In his initial account to police, Mr Wheeler went along with what Wilband had told him to say. However, he changed that account in subsequent police interviews and in his evidence in court.
Wilband also told Mr Wheeler to burn drugs bags that were in her bedside drawer so that they would not be found. Again these messages were deleted from Wilband’s phone.
An investigation was launched by Gloucestershire Constabulary’s Major Crime Investigation Team on 13 April 2020 when doctors had identified that Lexi’s injuries were non-accidental and had been inflicted.
