Social workers 'should have acted sooner' on at risk Ruby

Published by Jon Land for 24dash.com in Communities and also in Local Government

The father of a baby murdered by his ex-partner's boyfriend while on a child protection register today accused social services of failing to act quick enough.

Mitchell Cooper, 17, of Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, killed 11-month-old Ruby Spink by banging her head against a hard surface.

Cooper was today handed a life sentence, with a recommendation he serve a minimum of 12 years, after being convicted following a trial at Norwich Crown Court.

The baby's mother, Laura Spink (pictured), 18, who pleaded guilty to neglect, was sentenced to 12 months in a young offenders' institute.

Ruby was killed six days after being placed on an at-risk register.

Speaking outside court, Ruby's natural father, Martin Shabangu, 25, who lives in West Yorkshire, criticised the role of social services.

"They could've taken action as soon as they saw things happening," he said.

"(They should have) taken her away or given her to me."

When asked what he would have liked social services to have done, he
said: "To take action more quickly."

The court heard Mr Shabangu had a limited role in Ruby's upbringing.

He said he didn't blame social services for her death but added: "I could've done better myself."

Social workers were monitoring Ruby's welfare after being alerted to her plight less than two months before she died last September.

Ruby was also said to have been examined by a GP and two specialists in the weeks before her death. All were said to have noted injuries but all thought she had been hurt accidentally.

During the trial, it emerged the little girl suffered a fatal head injury - her ribs and legs had also been broken.

Ruby lived at a hostel in Great Yarmouth with her mother.

Both Cooper and Spink racially abused the child, calling her various derogatory names, the court was told.

Sentencing, Judge Jacobs decided it was in the public interest for Cooper's name to be published and lifted reported restrictions banning his identification.

He described Cooper's actions as "cynical".

"You just lost it. You resented the child. Your dislike of the child came to the surface," said Judge Jacobs.

"You forcibly banged this child's head... against a hard surface. As a result of that, you caused a fracture to the skull, which resulted in death, probably instantly.

"Then you covered it up. There was something almost cynical about the way you tried to cover it up."

The court heard Cooper told paramedics that Ruby had choked on a piece of cake.

Sentencing Spink, Judge Jacobs said: "You told all sorts of lies, some of them absurd lies."

Jurors were told Spink had covered for Cooper and allowed him unsupervised access to her child, despite advice to the contrary.

"You're both insecure, you're both irresponsible," said Judge Jacobs.

"You're both the victims of a cycle of depravation, but there's nothing in your background which justifies the way you treated this child."

He added: "It has to be recognised that when children are neglected in this way, with such frightening results, a custodial sentence must follow."

Following today's hearing, Meera Spillett, deputy director of children's services at Norfolk County Council, said: "A multi-agency child protection investigation and child protection conference was held about Ruby.

"At that conference, which took place just six days before Ruby's murder, the decision was taken to place her on the child protection register, under the categories of physical abuse and neglect.

"Ruby's mother did not stick to the child protection plan that was agreed at the conference and her boyfriend Mitchell Cooper - who was not living with Laura Spink - went on to murder Ruby when he was left alone with her.

"Based on his background, Cooper had been assessed as low risk.

"During the course of his trial, several witnesses have spoken of his ill treatment of Ruby.

"We heard most of this evidence for the first time in court and the court also heard that no residents at the hostel where Ruby and Laura were living ever complained to either us or the police about his treatment of Ruby."