ROT IN HELL
Star Hobson’s evil killer LAUGHS as she’s jailed for life for stamping tot to death – as mum gets just 8 years
A MONSTER laughed as she was jailed for life for stamping her lover's baby daughter to death as her mum was caged for just eight years.
Savannah Brockhill, 28, caused Star Hobson "utterly catastrophic" injuries after waging a campaign of brutal emotional and physical abuse.
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The 16-month-old died in hospital from blood loss after her inferior vena cava - the largest vein in the body - was torn.
Medics said her injuries were usually only seen in car crash victims and had been caused by either "punches, kicks or stamps".
It comes as...
- Star Hobson's mum and her lover were convicted over the youngster's death
- A heartbreaking image shows bruises on the youngster's face
- Her family warned the authorities she would be 'another Baby P'
- Haunting videos show Star's final months before she was murdered
- Brockhill boasted 'I'm a psycho' in a social media video
- Star's grandad killed himself after telling Smith 'I'll look after the baby'
The tragic tot had also suffered a severe skull fracture and several other fractures to her tibia and ribs leading up to the fatal attack in Keighley, West Yorks.
Star's mum Smith wept yesterday as she was cleared of murder but convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child.
She was jailed for just eight years today for the offence, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
Evil Brockhill was caged for life with a minimum of 25 years after she was found guilty of murdering the tragic tot.
The shameless monster laughed as the sentencing hearing got underway today and smiled and made a heart gesture to her family when she entered the court.
Mrs Justice Lambert slammed the pair for tarnishing Star's short life with "neglect, cruelty and injury".
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She added: "She was also treated with, at best, callous indifference by you both and, on many occasions, with frank cruelty."
A safeguarding practice review has been launched into Star's death, which came just weeks after the horrific murder of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
In a chilling echo of the six-year-old's death, there were five opportunities to save Star but the family's concerns were ignored by social workers and police.
Boris Johnson yesterday vowed that action will be taken to stop such "shocking and heartbreaking" tragedies in future.
A powerful victim impact statement was read by Star's great-grandmother Anita Smith, who had warned social workers: "Do you want another Baby P?"
She told how Star's smile would "light up a room" and revealed how she "thrived" in the ten weeks she cared for her.
Anita added: "Her death was devastating. Her pain was so unnecessary when we were all here willing to look after her.
"All I want is Star back, I know there is nothing anyone can say or do to change what happened but it doesn't stop me praying every day.
"I kiss her photo every night and say goodnight Star, and morning beautiful when I wake up."
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Anita's husband David Fawcett, who was one of the family members to raise concerns, yesterday slammed Brockhill.
He said: "To me she was just pure evil. I just can't believe she could do something like that to a baby girl.
"We were just a quiet, lovely family and she ascended from the bowels of hell and just completely devastated and wrecked our family.
"It's disgusting because there were five referrals. Not one of them did anything."
"It's just beyond belief, really."
During a lengthy trial, jurors endured harrowing footage of Star looking badly bruised with a swollen cheek and marks to her forehead.
They also watched chilling clips of pub bouncer Brockhill punching and slapping Star with "considerable force" 21 times over a three-hour period.
The brutal attack took place in her car - with the forceful blows causing Star to fall out the vehicle at one point.
The crying toddler could also be seen painfully climbing up a flight of stairs while suffering from a broken shin as both women forced her to walk.
In another "disturbing and bizarre" clip, Star was filmed falling from her high chair and hitting the floor as music played over the top.
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The monster couple also captured the youngster so exhausted she fell asleep in a bowl of food.
Brockhill had made a number of haunting Google searches in the days before Star's death, asking: "How long can your body last without sleep?"
She also searched "how long can you sit in the cold?" and "what takes bruising and swelling down?"
During Star's final months, Smith "called her names that shouldn't be said to a child" - including "little c***".
She was made to face the wall if she apparently misbehaved and was put in a "choke slam".
Evil Brockhill, who called herself the "number one psycho", would also swing the youngster by her leg as "punishment".
Sickening text exchanges between the two show the grisly methods used on Star if she apparently misbehaved.
In one, Brockhill told Smith to "rip her up" and make her stand in the corner for 20 minutes after the mum sent her a photo of Star crying on a shopfloor.
Smith messaged Brockhill at one stage, saying: "Star keeps crying and I don't know why, it's proper crying. She's proper crying."
Her partner tells her to put the baby in the corner, with Smith telling her she already is.
Brockhill replies: "Good".
Smith also regularly referred to her daughter as "it" in the chilling texts and would send pictures of Star stood in the corner facing the wall.
'CATASTROPHIC INJURIES'
On September 22 last year, paramedics raced to the home to find Star lifeless, pale and wearing only a nappy.
She was in cardiac arrest and as they attempted CPR, Star vomited "large amounts" of brown material.
Audio of the haunting 999 call made by Brockhill a staggering 15 minutes after she battered Star has now been released by police.
She claims she was in the kitchen making a coffee when she heard a "bang" coming from the living room where Star was playing with three other children.
Brockhill adds: "I came out and the little lad's stood there and the little girl's on the floor and she was crying and then she was sick.
"Now she's just gone a little bit floppy to be honest with you."
When asked what the bang was, the monster says she doesn't know if Star had "fallen off the sofa" or if the horror happened when she was playing.
She adds: "I came in and the little lad was saying 'Star'...So I've obviously shouted her mum in, said 'sit up Star'.
"I've sat her up and I started to rub her back because she was like breathing but struggling.
"She started to be sick so I laid her on the floor."
Star was airlifted to hospital but sadly couldn't be saved and was declared dead shortly after.
Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC said: "The reality is that the injuries suffered by Star were so catastrophic that there never was any real chance of saving her life."
When quizzed by police, Brockhill suggested the injuries were caused by a two-year-old child, which the prosecution branded "absurd".
Medics instead said the "degree of force" inflicted on Star was "so great" it was "quite impossible for the doctors to envisage it could have been inflicted by a child".
Mr MacDonald said: "The effect of such injuries was immediate and heavy bleeding into the abdominal cavity, which caused a catastrophic drop in blood pressure and unconsciousness and death within seconds to minutes.
“The assault or assaults that killed Star clearly involved the use of severe force and were obviously intentional. This little girl suffered no accidental death."
'TOXIC'
Doctors also discovered a number of "significant injuries" the baby had suffered "at different times during her short life".
This included two fractures to the right shin bone "caused by forceful twisting", a fractured skull and an old brain injury.
In total she had 15 separate injuries to her head and ten bruises to her legs, ankles, feet and toes.
Little Star had been a "happy baby" while living with her great-gran Anita Smith and her partner David Fawcett.
She had moved in with her loved ones as Smith, whose IQ places her at the bottom two per cent of the population for intelligence, was unable to look after her.
The court was told how "very immature" Smith was helped by her family when Star was born as she often "struggled" and was "lazy and neglectful".
She then began a relationship with Brockhill in Christmas 2019 before they moved into a new flat in Keighley together in June last year.
In April last year, Star was ripped from the loving home by authorities and sent back to live with her mum and "toxic" Brockhill at their house of horrors.
'DEPRESSED'
David noted how the baby became "lost her spark" and became "depressed".
She was covered in bruises all over her little body - with desperate David posting pictures of her injuries on Facebook.
He said: "I was so concerned about Star. I wanted to show other people as well what was going on."
Both Anita and David reported their concerns to social services but it was never followed up.
The great-gran told social workers "our Star will end up dead" in May 2020 but the case was closed and Smith was never interviewed.
Other relatives also referred Star to social services on a further two occasions as well as contacting police.
They sent officers photos of bruising on the tot's face, neck and ear but she remained in the care of Smith and Brockhill.
Horrified friends also told how the couple would tell them "dirty" Star's bruises were from "falls" before even saying hello when they saw the tot.
After the referrals were made, Anita was branded a "weirdo" and "freak" and their access to Star was restricted.
Her heartbroken family were even banned from attending her funeral after Smith cut contact with them.
She and Brockhill also managed to hoodwink social workers into believing Star's injuries were accidental and anyone who complained was just against their relationship.
MISSED CHANCES
Star's death came just months after Arthur Labinjo-Hughes was tortured to death by his stepmum Emma Tustin and dad Thomas Hughes.
Boris Johnson has now vowed to bring in a new “Arthur’s Law” so evil child killers will die behind bars.
Asked about the response of social services, Star's great-grandad David Fawcett said: "It's disgusting because there were five referrals. Not one of them did anything."
He said: "It's just beyond belief, really."
Asked whether social services had missed the "blindingly obvious", he replied: "Yes."
Leader of Bradford Council, Susan Hinchcliffe, said a review is under way into agencies' contact with the family.
She added: "Star was let down and we all want to know if anything could have been done differently."
The Department for Education said today Star's death was "deeply disturbing" and it would "not hesitate" to remove children's services control from Bradford Council "if necessary".
A review will also feed in the national inquiry into Arthur's death.
Boris Johnson has vowed to bring in a new "Arthur's Law" so twisted child killers will die behind bars.
It came after The Sun launched a Justice for Arthur campaign.
An NSPCC spokeswoman said: "Star Hobson's young life was cut brutally short and it is appalling that she was harmed by the very people who should have been keeping her safe.
"Star was subjected to horrific cruelty and violence over several months that no child should ever have to experience.
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"This awful case comes as many of us are still upset and horrified over what happened to Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.
"We must do all we can to prevent cruelty and abuse to children. As always, we urge anyone who has concerns about the safety or wellbeing of a child to contact the local authorities, the police or the NSPCC helpline."
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Heartbreaking family video shows Star Hobson's bruised face - how did social services fail her just like Arthur?