MOTHER AND BOYFRIEND JAILED FOR LIFE FOR MURDER OF TWO-YEAR-OLD

Alexandra Walker and Harrison Simpson have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Walker's two-year-old daughter, Isabelle Welsh. The child died in September at her home in Thornaby, Teesside, following weeks of abuse that included 21 broken bones. At Teesside Crown Court, Ms Justice Norton imposed a minimum term of 28 years and six months on Simpson and 22 years on Walker. Simpson was also convicted of sexual assault against Isabelle, a charge from which Walker was acquitted.

The judge found that Isabelle's death represented the culmination of a series of assaults that the couple sought to conceal. Both defendants were convicted of murder and child cruelty in relation to the child's death. The evidence presented to the court established a pattern of violence against the victim over an extended period before her death.

The case has concluded with both convictions upheld and custodial sentences imposed. No appeal has been announced. The sentencing concludes the criminal proceedings relating to Isabelle Welsh's death.