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Mother, 33, who killed her two-month-old daughter by snapping her ribs in bid to stop her crying then rang her cocaine dealer before dialling 999 is jailed for more than 13 years
PUBLISHED: 13:22, 4 April 2019 | UPDATED: 14:38, 4 April 2019
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Abigail Palmer, 33 (pictured) has been jailed for more than 13 years for killing her nine-week-old daughter Teri-Rae by crushing her ribcage
A 'selfish' single mother who killed her two-month-old baby while trying to silence her cries was today jailed for more than 13 years.
Abigail Palmer, 33, crushed the chest of daughter Teri-Rae with such brutal force that she snapped the newborn's ribs.
Birmingham Crown Court heard Palmer, who was found guilty of manslaughter at a trial earlier this week, also made a flurry of calls to her cocaine dealer while her child lay critically injured.
She did not call an ambulance for 15 minutes and by the time paramedics arrived they were unable to save Teri-Rae.
The court heard Palmer, of Solihull, West Midlands, had been 'burning the candle at both ends' and had not slept for 72 hours before the incident.
Sentencing, Mrs Justice Lambert told how the mum crushed Teri-Rae's ribcage in her hands, inflicting ten rib fractures which led to oxygen starvation.
The judge said: 'What you did was appalling. Only you know why you assaulted Teri-Rae in this way but it does not require much imagination that you did so because she was crying and you were short-fused through a lack of sleep owing to your heavy-duty socialising over previous days.
'You tried to silence her by grabbing her so strongly that she was unable to get any air into her lungs.'
Teri-Rae died on January 2, 2017, only nine weeks after being born weighing just 4lb 7ozs.
Palmer had tested positive for cocaine during her pregnancy and was facing the threat of Teri-Rae being taken into care because of her substance abuse.
The court heard she had vowed to get clean but continued to take drugs and drink alcohol.
Some of Teri-Rae's ribs were found to have buckled while others had snapped.
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Birmingham Crown Court heard Palmer (left outside court, and right), who was found guilty of manslaughter at a trial earlier this week, also made a flurry of calls to her cocaine dealer while her child lay critically injured
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Teri-Rae (pictured) suffered cracked and buckled ribs after her drug user mother assaulted her to stop her crying
The child was said to have suffered 'very serious distress' as she struggled to breath.
While there was no evidence that Palmer was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the tragedy, it was revealed she made 23 calls on the day of the tragedy attempting to source drugs from her dealer.
Palmer also denied drinking but was described as smelling of alcohol by hospital medics.
Two bottles of spirits were also found in her fridge.
Jonas Hankin, prosecuting, said: 'A clear picture emerged that the defendant was burning the candle at both ends and had not slept for 72 hours.
'Not only was she not sleeping, but she was drinking and taking cocaine. It's those features that were likely the catalyst for her loss of temper with the child.'
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The court was told that Palmer did not call for an ambulance for 15 minutes after the incident.
The judge said: 'You declined to call for medical help and said you tried to revive her with your own version of CPR.
'I have no doubt that when you realised something was wrong with Teri-Rae you realised you were responsible. You hoped that you might be able to revive her yourself so that your crime would not be uncovered. '
She added: 'Your selfishness and selfish act led to death of your daughter.
'This is something you will have to live with and endeavour to come to terms with.'
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The court heard Palmer (pictured left with her daughter), had been awake for 72 hours and even tried to source drugs while the child lay critically injured. Some of Teri-Rae's (right) ribs were found to have buckled while others had snapped
The court heard concerns had been raised over Palmer shortly into her pregnancy with Teri-Rae.
Mr Hankin said she had a history of substance abuse and flagged positive for cocaine during a screening at 15 weeks' pregnant.
She was brought in to Birmingham's Heartlands hospital at 37 weeks' pregnant to be induced because of Teri-Rae's stunted growth.
Birmingham City Council wrote a letter before her discharge telling her that care proceedings were being considered because of her boozing and drug-taking.
She failed to comply with conditions not to use illicit substances or drink alcohol and undergo random drugs tests.
The court was told that Palmer fractured the baby's ribs on two earlier occasions
Mr Hankin added: 'The prosecution say it is an aggravating feature that the assault was carried out against a background of substance misuse in defiance of a child protection order designed to protect Teri-Rae.'
Michael Burrows, defending Palmer, who has no previous convictions, denied claims his client has shown 'a disarming lack of remorse'.
He said: 'She is unable to bring herself to acknowledge the full scale of what she has done.
'She is a bereaved mother and feels the loss of her daughter as much as anyone else.
'The primary intention of Abigail Palmer was not to cause harm but to stop Teri-Rae crying.
'If her intention had really been to cause serious harm, then I submit that there would have been other signs.
'There could have been blows, there could have been an attempt to squeeze the neck.'
Palmer was handed a two-year concurrent sentence for wounding.
- Abigail Palmer, 33, crushed baby daughter Teri-Rae to death at Solihull home
- Court heard she had been awake for 72 hours and could not handle her crying
- Nine-week-old baby suffered cracked and buckled ribs and oxygen starvation
- Palmer was jailed for more than 13 years for manslaughter at hearing today
PUBLISHED: 13:22, 4 April 2019 | UPDATED: 14:38, 4 April 2019
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254
View comments
+6
Abigail Palmer, 33 (pictured) has been jailed for more than 13 years for killing her nine-week-old daughter Teri-Rae by crushing her ribcage
A 'selfish' single mother who killed her two-month-old baby while trying to silence her cries was today jailed for more than 13 years.
Abigail Palmer, 33, crushed the chest of daughter Teri-Rae with such brutal force that she snapped the newborn's ribs.
Birmingham Crown Court heard Palmer, who was found guilty of manslaughter at a trial earlier this week, also made a flurry of calls to her cocaine dealer while her child lay critically injured.
She did not call an ambulance for 15 minutes and by the time paramedics arrived they were unable to save Teri-Rae.
The court heard Palmer, of Solihull, West Midlands, had been 'burning the candle at both ends' and had not slept for 72 hours before the incident.
Sentencing, Mrs Justice Lambert told how the mum crushed Teri-Rae's ribcage in her hands, inflicting ten rib fractures which led to oxygen starvation.
The judge said: 'What you did was appalling. Only you know why you assaulted Teri-Rae in this way but it does not require much imagination that you did so because she was crying and you were short-fused through a lack of sleep owing to your heavy-duty socialising over previous days.
'You tried to silence her by grabbing her so strongly that she was unable to get any air into her lungs.'
Teri-Rae died on January 2, 2017, only nine weeks after being born weighing just 4lb 7ozs.
Palmer had tested positive for cocaine during her pregnancy and was facing the threat of Teri-Rae being taken into care because of her substance abuse.
The court heard she had vowed to get clean but continued to take drugs and drink alcohol.
Some of Teri-Rae's ribs were found to have buckled while others had snapped.
+6
+6
Birmingham Crown Court heard Palmer (left outside court, and right), who was found guilty of manslaughter at a trial earlier this week, also made a flurry of calls to her cocaine dealer while her child lay critically injured
+6
Teri-Rae (pictured) suffered cracked and buckled ribs after her drug user mother assaulted her to stop her crying
The child was said to have suffered 'very serious distress' as she struggled to breath.
While there was no evidence that Palmer was under the influence of cocaine at the time of the tragedy, it was revealed she made 23 calls on the day of the tragedy attempting to source drugs from her dealer.
Palmer also denied drinking but was described as smelling of alcohol by hospital medics.
Two bottles of spirits were also found in her fridge.
Jonas Hankin, prosecuting, said: 'A clear picture emerged that the defendant was burning the candle at both ends and had not slept for 72 hours.
'Not only was she not sleeping, but she was drinking and taking cocaine. It's those features that were likely the catalyst for her loss of temper with the child.'
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The court was told that Palmer did not call for an ambulance for 15 minutes after the incident.
The judge said: 'You declined to call for medical help and said you tried to revive her with your own version of CPR.
'I have no doubt that when you realised something was wrong with Teri-Rae you realised you were responsible. You hoped that you might be able to revive her yourself so that your crime would not be uncovered. '
She added: 'Your selfishness and selfish act led to death of your daughter.
'This is something you will have to live with and endeavour to come to terms with.'
+6
+6
The court heard Palmer (pictured left with her daughter), had been awake for 72 hours and even tried to source drugs while the child lay critically injured. Some of Teri-Rae's (right) ribs were found to have buckled while others had snapped
The court heard concerns had been raised over Palmer shortly into her pregnancy with Teri-Rae.
Mr Hankin said she had a history of substance abuse and flagged positive for cocaine during a screening at 15 weeks' pregnant.
She was brought in to Birmingham's Heartlands hospital at 37 weeks' pregnant to be induced because of Teri-Rae's stunted growth.
Birmingham City Council wrote a letter before her discharge telling her that care proceedings were being considered because of her boozing and drug-taking.
She failed to comply with conditions not to use illicit substances or drink alcohol and undergo random drugs tests.
The court was told that Palmer fractured the baby's ribs on two earlier occasions
Mr Hankin added: 'The prosecution say it is an aggravating feature that the assault was carried out against a background of substance misuse in defiance of a child protection order designed to protect Teri-Rae.'
Michael Burrows, defending Palmer, who has no previous convictions, denied claims his client has shown 'a disarming lack of remorse'.
He said: 'She is unable to bring herself to acknowledge the full scale of what she has done.
'She is a bereaved mother and feels the loss of her daughter as much as anyone else.
'The primary intention of Abigail Palmer was not to cause harm but to stop Teri-Rae crying.
'If her intention had really been to cause serious harm, then I submit that there would have been other signs.
'There could have been blows, there could have been an attempt to squeeze the neck.'
Palmer was handed a two-year concurrent sentence for wounding.
