Five-week-old baby girl murdered by drug-taking dad who 'shook her like a ragdoll'

A twisted dad has been found guilty of murdering his five-week-old baby daughter after violently shaking her and leaving her with devastating brain damage.

Thomas Holford attacked little Everleigh Stroud while looking after her at home in April 2021. The newborn was left fighting for life with catastrophic brain injuries, as well as multiple rib and leg fractures and unexplained bruising. She survived for over a year in hospital before dying from her injuries in May 2022.

During his trial, medical experts gave harrowing evidence that her injuries were consistent with being gripped tightly and violently shaken. Everleigh had been perfectly healthy when she was left in Holford’s care the night before - but by 9am the next morning, she was barely conscious and completely unresponsive.

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Paramedics rushed to the scene to find a bruise on her tiny face and, nearby, a desk littered with cigarette butts, a baby’s bottle, a bag of herbal cannabis and a grinder. Holford denied seeing the bruising and initially insisted he would never hurt his child. He later changed his story - pleading guilty to manslaughter - but a jury found him guilty of murder.

Everleigh suffered catastrophic brain haemorrhages, multiple bone fractures and an anal injury, the court heard last month. Prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC said his shaking of Everleigh "like a ragdoll" was his reaction to his daughter becoming "frantic and a bit mad" - words Holford had himself used when describing her behaviour to police.

It was suggested that he assaulted the baby after she had interrupted a late-night gaming session on his computer, and that having inflicted the anal injury and caused severe pain, he then gripped or clamped her mouth to stop her crying.

But although Holford, from Danbury in Essex, agreed that something had set him off that night, he maintained throughout his evidence that he could not remember the crucial incident. The jury of seven men and five women found him unanimously guilty of murder and ABH after deliberating for more than 20 hours.

Will Bodiam from the Crown Prosecution Service said: "Holford was left in charge of his daughter on the fateful night and shook her with such force that he caused her traumatic brain injury that ultimately killed her a year later.

"It would have been obvious to him as a parent what he had done by Everleigh’s reaction, as she would have immediately shown severe pain and obvious signs of distress. Despite this, he did nothing to help her, claiming that there was nothing wrong with her the following morning, when everyone else who saw her knew straightaway something terrible had happened.

"When Everleigh was rushed to intensive care at a London hospital, he showed no emotion, instead continuing to download games on his phone and even asking one of the police officers to help him choose a game.

"Holford’s actions left his daughter in unimaginable pain for the next year before her death. Following an extensive police investigation, we were able to build a strong prosecution case proving that Holford deliberately and intentionally injured his daughter. Today he has been brought to justice for the murder of Everleigh and we hope this brings some small comfort to her family."