Ava Mae Collard: Parents jailed for causing baby girl's death

A mum and dad who caused the death of their five-month-old baby girl have been jailed.

Ava Mae Collard was subjected to traumatic injuries over a prolonged period, said the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

Her parents' trial at Stafford Crown Court heard she suffered broken bones and severe trauma to her head.

Rebecca Grocott, 27, of Stone, was jailed for eight years and Joshua Collard, 30, of Stafford, for 11 years.

Both were found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child, causing or allowing serious physical harm to a child and two counts of causing unnecessary suffering to a child through assault, ill-treatment, neglect or abandonment.

Joshua Collard and Rebecca Grocott were found guilty after a five-week trial

Ava Mae died in hospital a few days after going into cardiac arrest at the family home in Stone, Staffordshire.

She was severely underweight and a post-mortem examination found she had 28 fractures to her ribs, as well as her collarbone and femur.

A trauma to the side of her head had also caused an ear injury and she had bruises on her scalp, face and legs.

Both defendants were arrested on 25 March 2020 following police interviews in which they could not explain what had happened to their daughter.

At their sentencing hearing earlier, Collard was described by the judge as a "violent, ill-tempered misogynist".

Mr Justice Cotter KC said he had seen "no evidence of any remorse" from Collard for what had happened.

He added that Ava Mae's injuries were consistent with her ribs being "squeezed" and she would have suffered "pain and misery throughout her short life".

Repeatedly lied

"Both of you have lied about events that happened in Ava's short life. She was grasped so tightly she couldn't breathe and her heart stopped," he told them.

"After a heart attack, she would have been unresponsive in seconds. Neither of you have told the whole truth about what happened."

Accepting Grocott was remorseful, he said she had been frightened of Collard.

"You had suspicions that Joshua Collard was injuring Ava. You realised there were unexplained bruises," he told the mother.

"If you did not cause them, you must have known who did.

"You knew Joshua Collard was ill-tempered and had assaulted you, but you repeatedly lied to social services and the police," he said.

The parents were told they would each spend half of their sentences in prison before being eligible for parole.

Peter Grice, of the CPS, said: "Ava Mae did not die a natural death and suffered such heinous injuries over time including repeated exposure to cannabis.

"[They] should have loved and nurtured their baby and neither of them took steps to protect her."

The parents were told they would each spend half of their sentences in prison before being eligible for parole

The court was told Collard grew his own cannabis and had returned to the family home to remove plants and equipment while his daughter was in critical care in hospital.

Ava Mae was known to children's services at Staffordshire County Council, which had carried out a rapid review into the case following her death.

This was followed by a thematic review which looked at a number of children, the authority said.

"Now that the criminal proceedings have concluded, the Staffordshire Safeguarding Children Board will ensure that all possible learning identified is acted upon," said chair Ian Vinall.

The judge commended police officers for helping give Ava a voice, the Staffordshire force said.

Speaking after the sentencing, Det Insp Ian Pickstock said "it doesn't get much worse than this.

"It has been emotional, I got emotional in the court, and it has deeply affected some of my officers as well."