Tom Kember was described as “monstrous” by a judge
A “monstrous” man and woman left a baby severely disabled before searching “can I get done for abusing” a child, a court heard. Tom Kember and Katherine Reilly inflicted injuries on the infant akin to those caused in a high-speed traffic collision or a fall from a one-storey height.
Kember also searched online for “what happend aif u (sic) hit a baby’s face.” The baby girl was born prematurely in 2019 and just 10 days after being discharged from hospital, on 14 January 2020, an ambulance was called to an address in Taunton in Somerset as she was unresponsive.
Ambulance staff noted bruising on her temples and raised concerns with medics at Musgrove Park Hospital. The court heard Kember, 27, and Reilly, 25, left the hospital while the baby was still being treated and started packing up her things.
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A jury was told that on January 12 2020 Kember searched online for “what happend aif u (sic) hit a baby’s face” and “can a baby be sick if it gets hit”. At 10.45pm the next day, while at a fast-food restaurant with Reilly and the baby, Kember searched online for terms such as “if baby hits its head does the baby sleep a lot”.
It was not until about 1.20am on January 14 that Kember called 111. At 6.10am that same day Kember searched for “can I get dosent for abiseing (sic) … baby” – the prosecution’s case being this was a mis-typed search for “can I get done for abusing baby.”
Yesterday, October 30, at Bristol Crown Court Kember was found guilty of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and Reilly of child cruelty.
Judge Julian Lambert referred to the crime as a “monstrous act.” Kember has been held in custody while Reilly has been released on bail until their sentencing, which is set for January 24 2025.
The child, who is now four years old, has been adopted by the foster parents who took her in when she was just four months old and hospitalised. The severe brain injury she suffered has resulted in her being non-verbal, having significant visual impairment, experiencing multiple daily seizures, and other complex health issues.
Detective Chief Inspector Roger Doxsey, the lead investigator, commented: “This has been a distressing case for all involved. A helpless baby has been abused by adults who were more concerned with avoiding the consequences of their actions than with seeking medical help for her.
“It is tragic to reflect that having been born at 31 weeks she was readmitted to hospital with these terrible injuries before her due date. I would like to pay tribute to the medical staff who helped to ensure this little girl’s remarkable survival, and the family who are now providing her with such love and care.”
