Updates on Monday 11 April 2016
News, sport, travel and weather updates to resume at 08:00 on Tuesday
Graham McGarry
BBC Radio Stoke Sport
Stoke-on-Trent darts player Ian White secured his fifth career title as he whitewashed Michael van Gerwen 6-0, external to win the Players Championship Five at the Barnsley Metrodome.
Image source, Getty ImagesWhite averaged 106.2 in the match and landed four 180s as he swept past the world number one.
The victory was White's first for six months.
Chris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The top stories for Staffordshire and Cheshire this afternoon include:
- A mother has been jailed for a minimum of 24 years for murdering her 21-month-old daughter in Staffordshire
- A major power failure caused hours of delays to trains through Birmingham New Street
- A masked man has robbed a Stoke-on-Trent shop with a knife
BBC Travel
The A50 High Street in Tunstall's blocked both ways at the Reginald Mitchell Way junction, because of an accident.
Six fire crews last night battled a huge blaze at a Staffordshire barn, external which has engulfed 1,000 tonnes of straw.
Image source, Express and Star
BBC News England
The family of Ayeeshia Smith say they've been further distressed because they haven't been able to take possession of her ashes.
Image source, Ricky BoothIn a statement after today's sentencing, they said, on advice, they left her ashes with undertakers until the trial was over.
However Kathryn Smith's solicitor told the undertakers to return them to her or the they would face prosecution, Ayeeshia's family said.
Quote MessageNow the case is over Ms Smith will be facing a prison sentence and we have no idea where the ashes are at all and we would like them returned so that the family can finally lay AJ to rest."
Statement from the family of Ayeeshia Smith
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News
During sentencing, Mrs Justice Andrews said Ayeeshia's life "was brutally snuffed out in a vicious beating in her bedroom surrounded by her toys".
She added that the violence was "not an isolated incident" and had been carried out "repeatedly, under the noses of agencies" that should have protected her.
Euan Duncan
BBC Local Live
It is "doubtful" a serious case review into Ayeeshia Smith's death will advance child protection, the NSPCC says.
In a statement after today's sentencing, the charity said it was right both Kathryn Smith and Matthew Rigby were jailed but questioned whether anything would be learnt from the toddler's death.
Quote MessageThe epitaph 'lessons must be learned' has been tagged on to too many tragic deaths of very young children. But it’s clear many are still vulnerable to such violent attacks."
NSPCC spokesman
Allen Cook
BBC Local Live
Det Insp Andy Maxfield from Staffordshire Police has said the death of the 21-month-old toddler is a "tragedy" and said the investigation had taken its toll on officers.
Rebecca Woods
BBC News Online, Journalist
Sequence of events leading up to Ayeeshia Jane Smith's death:
- 15 July 2012: Ayeeshia is born - Derbyshire social services is already involved with a pre-birth child protection plan
- June 2013: She is put into foster care
- October 2013: Ayeeshia is returned to her mother, Kathryn Smith, who has started a relationship with Matthew Rigby
- 3 February 2014: The toddler collapses. She is misdiagnosed with a seizure (after her death, a bleed to the brain is found). The hospital is unaware she was under a supervision order, so does not alert social services
- 10 April 2014: Social services meet Kathryn Smith to discuss Ayeeshia's safety
- 1 May 2014: Ayeeshia dies from crushing injuries, aged 21 months
Peter Wilson
BBC Midlands Today Special Correspondent
I've been at Birmingham Crown Court today for the sentencing of Kathryn Smith, who was convicted of the murder of her 21-month-old daughter Ayeeshia at their home in Staffordshire.
Image source, PAHer partner Matthew Rigby was also jailed today and I'll have reaction from the court in a full report from 13:30 on BBC One in Midlands Today.
Kathryn Smith was today handed a life sentence with a minimum of 24 years, external for the murder of her daughter, Ayeeshia Jane Smith.
Image source, Burton MailChris King
Newsreader, BBC Radio Stoke
The top stories this afternoon:
- A mother has been jailed for a minimum of 24 years for murdering her daughter, 21-month-old Ayeeshia Jane Smith, in Staffordshire
- A judge said Kathryn Smith was 'devious, manipulative and selfish'
- Her partner was jailed for three years and six months for allowing the death
BBC News England
Det Insp Andy Maxfield of Staffordshire Police has given his reaction today outside Birmingham Crown Court to the sentencing of Kathryn Smith.
Quote MessageKathryn Smith was a vile and manipulative individual, the Judge said as much. And I think that the fact that she's going to prison for a minimum term of 24 years is appropriate."
Andy Maxfield, Staffordshire Police
Peter Wilson
BBC Midlands Today Special Correspondent
Also in his statement after today's sentencing, Ayeeshia's father Ricky Booth went on to criticise the social services involved, saying "someone should be held responsible and accountable".
Image source, Ricky BoothIn a statement after Friday's verdicts, Andrew Stokes, interim chairman of Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board, said it was important to take time to look at the case "thoroughly" before publishing its review into the case.
"All the agencies involved with the family have contributed to a serious case review which has been held to identify any lessons that can be learned," he said.
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News
After today's sentencing, a statement was read out outside Birmingham Crown Court, on behalf of Ayeeshia's natural father, Ricky Booth.
In it, he said no sentence would "replace the loss of watching Ayeeshia grow up".
Quote MessageWe were never told of the injuries surrounding the case until it was brought to court. We have had to sit through the case and had to listen to the events unfold. This has left us feeling very distraught and frustrated as we made calls to social services several weeks before AJ passed, warning them that she was at serious risk."
Ricky Booth, Ayeeshia Jane Smith's father
Euan Duncan
BBC Local Live
A serious case review is being carried out by Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Board to look at social workers' involvement in the lead-up to the death of Ayeeshia Jane Smith in May 2014.
But Burton MP Andrew Griffiths believes the case shouldn't be investigated internally.
He said: "What's shocking about this case is that there were so many signals, the lights should have been flashing, the alarm bells should have been ringing.
"Social services knew what was going on. but they seem to have failed to act."
Rebecca Woods
BBC News Online, Journalist
"We're a family. Families stick together," Matthew Rigby confidently told police officers as he tried to cover up how his partner's 21-month-old daughter met her violent death.
The reality could not have been more different.
Ayeeshia, known as AJ, suffered greatly during her short life, before dying at the hands of her mother Kathryn Smith, aided by her violent boyfriend.
Image source, PASixteen separate injuries were found on the toddler's body. But it was a tear to her heart - probably caused by a stamp - that finally killed her on 1 May, 2014.
I've been examining the background to this case on the BBC News website and you can read more here.
Phil Mackie
Midlands correspondent, BBC News
In sentencing Kathryn Smith and Matthew Rigby, Mrs Justice Andrews told Rigby he knew Ayeeshia was at risk but turned a blind eye.
Image source, Staffordshire PoliceAyeeshia's father Ricky Booth was in court to see the sentencing - along with 11 of the 12 jurors.
Smith and Rigby stood in the dock crying as they heard the long list of injuries Ayeeshia suffered in the months before she died.
Tom Warren
BBC Local Live
The emergency call made by Kathryn Smith on the day of her daughter Ayeeshia's death has been made public.
In it Smith, 23, claims to attempt to revive her, with help from her partner Matthew Rigby, 22.
Jennifer Meierhans
BBC News Online
During sentencing the judge, Mrs Justice Andrews, said Ayeeshia Smith had died in an "outburst of savage violence", which was "not an isolated incident".
She described Smith as having an "explosive temper".
"For no apparent reason her life was snuffed out by a brutal beating in her bedroom surrounded by her toys," Mrs Justice Andrews said.
Image source, SWNS
