Tom Kember and Katherine Riley were found guilty of abusing a baby(Image: BPM MEDIA)

Couple left baby disabled before searching 'can I get done for abusing' a child

Tom Kember, 27, and Katherine Reilly, 25, were found guilty at Bristol crown Court after a baby was left with injuries similar to those caused in a speed traffic collision

by · The Mirror

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

Tom Kember, 27, and Katherine Reilly, 25, left the tot with injuries similar to those caused in a speed traffic collision or a fall from a one-storey height. Kember also searched online for "what happend aif u (sic) hit a baby's face" and "can a baby be sick if it gets hit."

The baby girl was born prematurely in 2019 and just 10 days after being discharged from hospital, on January 14 2020, an ambulance was called to an address in Taunton in Somerset as she was unresponsive. Ambulance staff noted bruising on her temples and raised their concerns with Musgrove Park Hospital staff.

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Katherine Riley was found guilty by a jury on Wednesday( Image: Avon and Somerset Police / SWNS)
The court heard Kember searched online to see if a baby could "be sick" if it got hit( Image: Avon and Somerset Police / SWNS)

The court heard that Kember and Reilly left the hospital while the baby was still being treated and started packing up her things. A jury was told that on January 12, 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 mistyped search for "can I get done for abusing baby." The jury was told that on January 12, 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".

Kember was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and Reilly of child cruelty at Bristol Crown Court on Wednesday. Judge Julian Lambert described in court as a "monstrous act". Kember has been remanded in custody and Reilly bailed pending sentence, currently scheduled for January 24, 2025.

Kember ultimately called 111 after the baby was left disabled( Image: TauntonLive)

The child, now four, has been adopted by the 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.

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.”