'Monstrous' couple searched 'can I get done for abusing a baby'

A 'monstrous' man and woman left a baby girl profoundly disabled before searching 'can I get done for abusing' a child, a court has heard.

Tom Kember, 27, and Katherine Reilly, 25, left the days-old tot with injuries similar to those caused in a high-speed traffic collision or fall from a one-storey height.

The baby girl was born prematurely in 2019 at just 31 weeks old, but just 10 days after being discharged from hospital, on January 14, 2020, an ambulance was called to an address in Taunton in Somerset because she was unresponsive. 

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

Kember and Reilly were today found guilty of child abuse charges by a jury at Bristol Crown Court. 

Kember was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and Reilly of child cruelty. 

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

A jury was told that on 12 January 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.

At 6.10am that day Kember searched for 'can I get dosent for abiseing (sic) * baby' - the prosecution's case being that this was a mis-typed search for 'can I get done for abusing baby.'

Judge Julian Lambert described their abuse in court as a 'monstrous act'.

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

The child, now four, has been adopted by 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,' the court was told.

Detective Chief Inspector Roger Doxsey, 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.'