Star Hobson's murderer laughs in court as she is handed life sentence

The killer of abused toddler Star Hobson laughed in the dock as she was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday after a judge said her behaviour had been "cruel and callous".

Star was murdered by her mother’s girlfriend, Savannah Brockhill, in September last year following months of physical abuse throughout lockdown. Despite relatives reporting their concerns to Bradford Council’s social services, the authorities failed to act.

The case drew stark comparisons to the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes whose stepmother was sentenced two weeks ago for killing the young boy.

Brockhill was sentenced on Wednesday to life in prison with a minimum term of 25 years, while Star’s mother, Frankie Smith, was sentenced to eight years for allowing her 16-month-old daughter to die.

Brockhill laughed and smiled in dock during sentencing

Moments before Mrs Justice Lambert sentenced the pair, Brockhill was seen in court laughing, smiling to family and making a heart sign with her hands.

Mrs Justice Lambert told the pair: "You both behaved in a cruel and callous way to Star. You made her stand at the wall for what were just antics of a child."

The court heard victim impact statements from Star’s extended family, including her grandparents who said that the national lockdown cut them off from being able to see and protect the youngster.

“Lockdown seemed to us to be the reason we didn't see Star,” Bernard Hobson, the child’s grandfather, told the court. “In July, Frankie agreed to meet us with Star in a local park, but she then blocked our calls and cut off communication.

“We have been haunted by wondering what Star endured in the last months. Now we know it was a living nightmare.”

Watch: Woman who murdered 16-month-old Star Hobson sentenced to minimum of 25 years in prison

Mr Hobson added: “Our life has stood still, it's affected my work, we have an awful emptiness that feels like it will never go away.

“Star was snatched away before her life had started, we never saw her become a toddler, start school, be a teenager, become a beautiful woman with the world at her feet.

“We never got to hear her talk, call us grandma and grandad. It's agonisingly hard to accept the reality.”

Throughout the seven-week trial, Bradford Crown Court heard how social services received five referrals relating to Star, including a report from her great grandmother, Anita Smith, that Brockhill had "slam-choked" the youngster.

But Brockhill and Smith managed to convince social workers that the complaints were made maliciously by people who did not like their same-sex relationship or Brockhill’s traveller background.

Star was ‘caught in crossfire’ of toxic relationship

Mrs Justice Lambert concluded that Star was regularly “caught up in the crossfire” of Brockhill and Smith’s toxic relationship.

“The question which those who have watched the evidence in this trial unfold will be asking is why anyone would, or could, behave in such a way towards a young and vulnerable child who should be cherished and protected rather than abused and neglected,” Mrs Justice Lambert said.

"The answer to that question is clear to me. Star was caught in the crossfire of your relationship.

"Star was the victim of these pointless and self-absorbed rows.”

Shortly before the sentencing, the Prime Minister told MPs that the Government is investigating Bradford Council’s child protection department following the tragic murder and will consider closing it if necessary.

"I would just like to say that I think the whole House will once again be filled with incredulity at the cruelty of people who can perpetrate a child killing like this, but also sadness and bewilderment that it could not have been prevented,” Mr Johnson said.

"We will appoint... a commissioner to assess the relevant council - Bradford's - capability and capacity to improve on their findings and they will report in January.

"This will also feed into the report that we have commissioned on the death of Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. I say to those who are responsible in the authorities concerned, that we will not hesitate to remove service control if that is what is necessary to drive the improvements that we need to see."

The Bradford Partnership, which includes the agencies which had contact with Star during her short life, said: "We need to fully understand why opportunities to better protect Star were missed."

The safeguarding partnership said a review into the case will be published next month, but it "deeply regrets" that "not all the warning signs" were spotted.

Watch: Star Hobson: Concerned babysitter 'let down' by officials