Star Hobson murder trial: Accused 'tried to stop toddler from self-harm'

Star Hobson suffered a cardiac arrest and died in Airedale General Hospital on 22 September 2020

A woman accused of murdering a toddler told jurors CCTV of her lunging at the baby showed her trying stop the infant from harming herself.

Star Hobson suffered a cardiac arrest and died in a West Yorkshire hospital on 22 September 2020.

Her mother Frankie Smith, 20, and Savannah Brockhill, 28, both from Keighley, near Bradford, deny murder.

Ms Brockhill, Ms Smith's partner, told Bradford Crown Court she was mimicking a scene from the film 'Liar Liar'.

Giving evidence, the defendant claimed she used "the claw", a playful hand gesture made by actor Jim Carrey to a boy in the Hollywood movie, to stop the 16-month-old from "nipping and biting herself" and pulling her hair out.

The jury was again shown CCTV footage, captured at a recycling site in Doncaster on 13 September 2020, showing what the prosecution said appears to be Ms Brockhill lunging at the infant three times in her car.

Ms Brockhill said the movements with her hands towards Star were "to cheer her up" and "calm her down".

But she admitted striking the child with the back of her hand, because she "had a tantrum and was starting to bite herself".

Frankie Smith (left) and Savannah Brockhill both deny murder and causing or allowing the death of a child

Internet searches including "can you die from being winded" and "what happens to the body if it's not getting enough oxygen" were made by Ms Brockhill because Star had winded herself when she fell on to the gearstick as she was "throwing herself", the defendant claimed.

She told her defence barrister, Katherine Goddard, she had also searched the internet for a child psychologist because she believed Star was harming herself.

The court heard messages between Ms Brockhill and Ms Smith, in which the defendant described the toddler as "a very nasty and naughty child", were in relation to Ms Smith not controlling her daughter's behaviour.

"Biting is nasty and naughty, that's what I was referring to," said Ms Brockhill.

The court also heard Ms Brockhill tearfully describe how she tried to perform CPR on the toddler at her home in Wesley Place on the day of her death.

She told jurors how she heard a "thud" in the living room while she was in the kitchen and discovered a groaning Star laid on her back.

Earlier in the trial, jurors heard from the prosecution how the child had died from "utterly catastrophic injuries" after repeated assaults by the couple.

The trial continues.

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