Star Hobson: Mother of murdered toddler has jail sentence increased
Frankie Smith, 20, was sentenced to eight years in prison after she was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of her 16-month-old daughter. Her former partner, Savannah Brockhill, was found guilty of murder and handed a life term with a minimum of 25 years in prison.
Tuesday 15 March 2022 14:12, UK
The mother of murdered toddler Star Hobson has had her prison sentence increased to 12 years by the Court of Appeal.
Frankie Smith was sentenced in December for her part in the killing of the 16-month-old girl, who died at the hands of Smith's former girlfriend Savannah Brockhill following a campaign of physical and psychological abuse.
Smith, 20, was originally found guilty of causing or allowing her death and sentenced to eight years in prison at Bradford Crown Court.
However, the sentence was referred to the Court of Appeal by the Attorney General's Office, under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme.
On Tuesday, judges ruled that Smith's original sentence was too lenient and increased it to 12 years.
Dame Victoria Sharp, sitting with Mr Justice Sweeney and Mr Justice Baker, found the lower court was wrong to reduce Smith's sentence based on mitigation, including the loss of her daughter.
"On the facts of this case, where Miss Smith had treated Star with such cruelty... the judge was wrong to identify this as a mitigating feature and then give it the weight she did," Dame Victoria said.
"There was little, if any, to be said in mitigation. In our judgment no less a sentence than 12 years would meet the justice of this case."
The judge added that Star was "particularly vulnerable due to her very young age", and that "self-evidently, Miss Smith was in a position of trust".
Speaking after the judgment, Attorney General Suella Braverman QC said she welcomed the Court of Appeal's decision.
"This is a tragic and extremely upsetting case and my thoughts are with all those who loved Star Hobson," she said, speaking after the judgment was handed down.
"This case involved prolonged cruelty and neglect, deliberate disregard, and a failure to take any steps to protect or seek assistance for her before and after her murder.
"No sentence can reverse this tragedy, but I welcome the decision to reflect the gravity of this offending by increasing the sentence today."
Smith appeared via video link from prison and her barrister, Zafar Ali QC, said it was "simply incorrect" to say his client had not been remorseful, saying she had been "extremely remorseful" during the trial.
"She expressly said how sorry she was for her cruelty and neglect," he added.
"This case was permeated by domestic violence - she was physically abused by Brockwell on several occasions."
Star died after she was taken to hospital in September 2020, having suffered "utterly catastrophic" and "unsurvivable" injuries.
Brockhill, 28, was found guilty of Star's murder and handed a life term with a minimum of 25 years in prison.