Christopher Easey, 31, of Norfolk, had denied killing Eleanor, a 14-week-old girl, in December 2019. Eleanor suffered brain damage and 31 rib fractures, according to his trial testimony, and had been left alone several times by her parents, who allegedly gave her cookies. Carly Easey, 36, the baby’s mother, was sentenced to a 12-month community order for neglect. Christopher Easey, of Little Thetford in Cambridgeshire, was convicted guilty of manslaughter and negligence by a jury at Norwich Crown Court last month.
The court stated that jurors disregarded her father’s testimony that he “fell Eleanor on her head while preoccupied with the dogs barking. The court stated that he was “certain” Easey was the one who “inflicted all of the significant injuries Eleanor sustained,” including 31 rib fractures. He said the girl’s mother “didn’t realize [her] spouse was harming their baby on several occasions. Prosecutor Sally Howes QC stated that a post-mortem examination revealed Eleanor was malnourished, had a protruding ribcage, and had diminished muscular density in her limbs.
According to the judge, both parents “abandoned” Eleanor “on at least one occasion for a long time” while living in Terrington St Clement near King’s Lynn. Eleanor “was died via no action or inaction” by her mother, according to Elizabeth Marsh QC, who is representing Carly Easey, whose current address was provided in court as Chedburgh in Suffolk.
“She feels really bad for not protecting her kid from the man who tricked her,” she explained. Christopher Easey’s lawyer, Sally O’Neill QC, said he will “carry to his death… the knowledge that what he did cause the harm to his infant daughter. He was regarded as a “very inexperienced parent” by her. Following the hearing, Norfolk Police stated that health visitors spotted bruises and scrapes on Eleanor’s face, which Carly Easey claimed were caused by an ill-fitting car seat and were self-inflicted.
According to investigators, the couple’s acquaintances, coworkers, and family members told detectives that the parents served Eleanor custard cream biscuits and lemon cheesecake, gave her squash to drink and left her home alone. When questioned, Christopher Easey stated that he had been forced to break unexpectedly when driving Eleanor and that she would occasionally bump her head on the cot. “This was a highly emotional inquiry,” said Det Insp Lewis Craske, “and the memories of it will stay with us for quite some time.”
