Latest news with #ThomasHolford
Daily Mail
04-07-2025
- Daily Mail
Cannabis-addict father who smoked five joints the day before he shook his baby daughter to death is jailed for life
A cannabis addict who smoked five joints the day before he shook his baby daughter to death has been jailed for life. Thomas Holford, 25, killed his five-week-old daughter Everleigh Stroud by shaking her with such 'excessive and severe' force she was left with 'catastrophic' brain and bone injuries. Everleigh had been left alone in her father's care on the night of April 20, 2021 and was 'only just' breathing when her grandmother, Kelly Stroud, called an ambulance the next morning. Holford was 'under the influence' of cannabis at the time of the shaking, and later lied to police about his drug use, having smoked at least five joints to celebrate '420' the previous day, which the court had heard he agreed was a 'big day for cannabis smokers'. While his baby was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, on April 21, he showed 'little emotion' and continued to download and play games on his phone, jurors heard. Text messages shown to jurors suggested that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as 'Milo' because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: 'Could you strap me anything, as I've got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.' On Thursday, Holford, of Ramsgate, was found unanimously guilty of murder and actual bodily harm of his daughter by a Canterbury Crown Court jury. Today, Mr Justice Michael Fordham sentenced Holford to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and told the court that he had 'robbed' his former partner and her family of 'any type of deep happiness' for the rest of their lives. The judge said: 'Overnight on 20th to 21st of April 2021 when you were just 20 years old you shook your five-week-old baby daughter Everleigh. 'That act of shaking caused severe and irreversible brain injuries, she died 13 months later as a result of those injuries. 'The jury were sure that at the moment of shaking Everleigh you intended to cause her really serious injury.' Along with brain injuries, Everleigh also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, and atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind, having spent the night before in her father's care, the court heard. Everleigh, who was born on March 13 2021, spent more than a year in hospital before she died aged 14 months on May 27 2022. Mr Justice Fordham continued: 'Kelly Stroud has described in her statement the impacts of what you did, how your actions denied Everleigh a life, how your actions denied a lifetime of hopes and dreams to Casey, a wonderful young mum who never gave up fighting for her daughter.' He added: 'Your actions robbed the Stroud family of any type of deep happiness leaving a grief on all members of the family for the rest of their lives.' While giving evidence, Holford told jurors he had at least five joints on April 20 2021, before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. 'You were under the influence of cannabis when you injured Everleigh, I am sure that is right,' said Mr Justice Fordham. When police arrived at his address in Ramsgate, where Holford, then 20, lived with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, they discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in his bedroom. A witness statement written by Everleigh's grandmother, Ms Stroud, and summarised in court heard how hard it had been to face her death. 'The shock was something that they have not experienced before, albeit they had a short period of denial and desperately searched for answers,' said prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC. The statement read: 'In a blink of an eye our world came crashing down in the most heartbreaking and traumatic way.' Holford also received a two-year concurrent prison sentence for actual bodily harm of Everleigh's anus which happened the same night. In the sentencing hearing, Ms Marshall said: 'The actual bodily harm undermines any suggestion that this was one single act born of one motivation and the motivation was described by the defence as perhaps frustration or flash of anger. 'We say that suggestion is undermined by the actual bodily harm.' During the trial Holford also admitted he had 'manipulated' his girlfriend's family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it. While in the witness box, he often answered questions to the effect of being unsure or not remembering what had happened the night he attacked Everleigh. 'The jury were sure that whatever your memory then or now you shook her meaning to cause really serious injury,' said Mr Justice Fordham. Holford will serve at least 16 years of his life sentence in prison before he is eligible to be released, minus the 351 days already served.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- The Independent
Father who murdered his baby daughter by shaking her jailed for life
A father has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years for killing his baby daughter by shaking her so hard he caused 'catastrophic' brain injuries. Thomas Holford, 25, had smoked at least five joints the day before he shook his five-week-old daughter Everleigh Stroud with such 'excessive and severe' force she was left with brain and bone injuries. Everleigh had been left alone in her father's care on the night of April 20 2021 and was 'only just' breathing when her grandmother, Kelly Stroud, called an ambulance the next morning. Holford was 'under the influence' of cannabis at the time of the shaking, and later lied to police about his drug use having smoked at least five joints to celebrate '420' the previous day, which the court had heard he agreed was a 'big day for cannabis smokers'. While his baby was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, on April 21, he showed 'little emotion' and continued to download and play games on his phone, jurors heard. On Thursday, Holford, of Ramsgate, was found unanimously guilty of murder and actual bodily harm of his daughter by a Canterbury Crown Court jury. On Friday, Mr Justice Michael Fordham sentenced Holford to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and told the court that he had 'robbed' his former partner and her family of 'any type of deep happiness' for the rest of their lives. The judge said: 'Overnight on 20th to 21st of April 2021 when you were just 20 years old you shook your five-week-old baby daughter Everleigh. 'That act of shaking caused severe and irreversible brain injuries, she died 13 months later as a result of those injuries. 'The jury were sure that at the moment of shaking Everleigh you intended to cause her really serious injury.' Along with brain injuries, Everleigh also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind, having spent the night before in her father's care, the court heard. Everleigh, who was born on March 13 2021, spent more than a year in hospital before she died aged 14 months on May 27 2022. Mr Justice Fordham continued: 'Kelly Stroud has described in her statement the impacts of what you did, how your actions denied Everleigh a life, how your actions denied a lifetime of hopes and dreams to Casey, a wonderful young mum who never gave up fighting for her daughter.' He added: 'Your actions robbed the Stroud family of any type of deep happiness leaving a grief on all members of the family for the rest of their lives.' While giving evidence, Holford told jurors he had at least five joints on April 20 2021, before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. 'You were under the influence of cannabis when you injured Everleigh, I am sure that is right,' said Mr Justice Fordham. When police arrived at his address in Wallwood Road, Ramsgate, where Holford, then 20, lived with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, they discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in his bedroom. A witness statement written by Everleigh's grandmother, Ms Stroud, and summarised in court heard how hard it had been to face her death. 'The shock was something that they have not experienced before, albeit they had a short period of denial and desperately searched for answers,' said prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC. The statement read: 'In a blink of an eye our world came crashing down in the most heartbreaking and traumatic way.' Holford also received a two-year concurrent prison sentence for actual bodily harm of Everleigh's anus which happened the same night. In the sentencing hearing, Ms Marshall said: 'The actual bodily harm undermines any suggestion that this was one single act born of one motivation and the motivation was described by the defence as perhaps frustration or flash of anger. 'We say that suggestion is undermined by the actual bodily harm.' During the trial Holford also admitted he had 'manipulated' his girlfriend's family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it. While in the witness box, he often answered questions to the effect of being unsure or not remembering what had happened the night he attacked Everleigh. 'The jury were sure that whatever your memory then or now you shook her meaning to cause really serious injury,' said Mr Justice Fordham. Text messages shown to jurors also suggest that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as 'Milo' because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: 'Could you strap me anything, as I've got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.' Holford will serve at least 16 years of his life sentence in prison before he is eligible to be released, minus the 351 days already served.
The Independent
04-07-2025
- The Independent
Father who shook baby to death ‘played games' as his baby was rushed to hospital
A father is facing a prison sentence after being found guilty of murdering his baby daughter, who suffered "catastrophic" brain injuries from severe shaking. Thomas Holford, 25, was convicted of the murder of Everleigh Stroud, who tragically died at the age of one. The court heard she sustained "excessive and severe" brain and bone injuries when she was just five weeks old. Everleigh was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital (QEQM) in Margate, Kent, on the morning of April 21, 2021, after her grandmother reported she was "only just" breathing. While his baby was rushed to hospital, Holford showed 'little emotion' and continued to download and play games on his phone, jurors heard. He later lied to police about his cannabis use to disguise the fact that he had been smoking the night before when he was looking after Everleigh alone. While giving evidence, Holford told jurors he had at least five joints on April 20 2021, before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. On that day, he was smoking more than usual because it was '420' which he agreed was a 'big day for cannabis smokers', the court heard. On Thursday, Holford, of Ramsgate, was found unanimously guilty of murder and actual bodily harm of his daughter by a Canterbury Crown Court jury. Along with brain injuries that left her in a vegetative state, she also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind and injuries to her anus having spent the night before in her father's care, the court heard. Everleigh, who was born on March 13 2021, spent more than a year in a vegetative state before she died at 14 months on May 27 2022. Prosecuting, Eloise Marshall KC said: 'On the night of April 20 into the early morning of April 21 2021, when Everleigh was just over five weeks old, she suffered catastrophic injuries which caused substantial brain damage, and that resulted in her death just over a year later, 'There is no dispute as to how Everleigh came to suffer those injuries, they were inflicted by her father, Thomas Holford.' She added: 'It is the Crown's case that all those injuries were deliberately caused by Thomas Holford, they were what we call non-accidental, members of the jury.' When police arrived at his address in Wallwood Road, Ramsgate, where Holford, then 20, lived with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, they discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in his bedroom. Police attending the scene remarked that Holford appeared to be in a 'good mood' as he played games on his phone while his baby was rushed to hospital. 'While speaking with Pc Smith, Thomas Holford continued to show little emotion,' said Ms Marshall. He told police that he had not smoked cannabis since 10am the previous morning, which he has now accepted was a lie. Ms Marshall KC asked: 'When the police asked you what you'd smoked, you lied?' 'Yes,' Holford replied. Asked why, he added: 'I'm trying to project an image of something that is better than reality.' Text messages shown to jurors also suggest that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as 'Milo' because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: 'Could you strap me anything, as I've got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.' Holford also admitted he had 'manipulated' his girlfriend's family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it. While in the witness box, he often answered questions to the effect of being unsure or not remembering what had happened. 'When it suits you, you have a memory – and when it doesn't suit you, you pretend you don't have a memory,' said Ms Marshall. Holford, who admitted manslaughter of Everleigh last year, will be sentenced for murder and actual bodily harm on July 4.
BBC News
04-07-2025
- BBC News
Father who murdered baby daughter in Ramsgate jailed for life
A father who murdered his baby daughter through "violent shaking" when she was five weeks old has been jailed for life, with a minimum term of 16 Holford was convicted of the murder of Everleigh Stroud at Canterbury Crown Court on Thursday, having previously admitted to 25-year-old, who had smoked multiple cannabis joints on the evening he attacked his daughter, was also found guilty of actual bodily died aged 14 months when her life support machine was turned off a year after the attack, which had left her with severe injuries to her brain, ribs and legs. Mr Justice Michael Fordham told the court Holford had "robbed" his former partner and her family of "any type of deep happiness" for the rest of their judge said: "Overnight on 20th to 21st of April 2021 when you were just 20 years old, you shook your five-week-old baby daughter Everleigh."That act of shaking caused severe and irreversible brain injuries - she died 13 months later as a result of those injuries."The jury were sure that at the moment of shaking Everleigh you intended to cause her really serious injury."Kelly Stroud has described in her statement the impacts of what you did, how your actions denied Everleigh a life, how your actions denied a lifetime of hopes and dreams to Casey, a wonderful young mum who never gave up fighting for her daughter."He added: "Your actions robbed the Stroud family of any type of deep happiness leaving a grief on all members of the family for the rest of their lives."
Yahoo
04-07-2025
- Yahoo
Father who murdered his baby daughter by shaking her jailed for life
A father has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 16 years for killing his baby daughter by shaking her so hard he caused 'catastrophic' brain injuries. Thomas Holford, 25, had smoked at least five joints the day before he shook his five-week-old daughter Everleigh Stroud with such 'excessive and severe' force she was left with brain and bone injuries. Everleigh had been left alone in her father's care on the night of April 20 2021 and was 'only just' breathing when her grandmother, Kelly Stroud, called an ambulance the next morning. Holford was 'under the influence' of cannabis at the time of the shaking, and later lied to police about his drug use having smoked at least five joints to celebrate '420' the previous day, which the court had heard he agreed was a 'big day for cannabis smokers'. While his baby was rushed to Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother Hospital in Margate, Kent, on April 21, he showed 'little emotion' and continued to download and play games on his phone, jurors heard. On Thursday, Holford, of Ramsgate, was found unanimously guilty of murder and actual bodily harm of his daughter by a Canterbury Crown Court jury. On Friday, Mr Justice Michael Fordham sentenced Holford to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years and told the court that he had 'robbed' his former partner and her family of 'any type of deep happiness' for the rest of their lives. The judge said: 'Overnight on 20th to 21st of April 2021 when you were just 20 years old you shook your five-week-old baby daughter Everleigh. 'That act of shaking caused severe and irreversible brain injuries, she died 13 months later as a result of those injuries. 'The jury were sure that at the moment of shaking Everleigh you intended to cause her really serious injury.' Along with brain injuries, Everleigh also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind, having spent the night before in her father's care, the court heard. Everleigh, who was born on March 13 2021, spent more than a year in hospital before she died aged 14 months on May 27 2022. Mr Justice Fordham continued: 'Kelly Stroud has described in her statement the impacts of what you did, how your actions denied Everleigh a life, how your actions denied a lifetime of hopes and dreams to Casey, a wonderful young mum who never gave up fighting for her daughter.' He added: 'Your actions robbed the Stroud family of any type of deep happiness leaving a grief on all members of the family for the rest of their lives.' While giving evidence, Holford told jurors he had at least five joints on April 20 2021, before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. 'You were under the influence of cannabis when you injured Everleigh, I am sure that is right,' said Mr Justice Fordham. When police arrived at his address in Wallwood Road, Ramsgate, where Holford, then 20, lived with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, they discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in his bedroom. A witness statement written by Everleigh's grandmother, Ms Stroud, and summarised in court heard how hard it had been to face her death. 'The shock was something that they have not experienced before, albeit they had a short period of denial and desperately searched for answers,' said prosecutor Eloise Marshall KC. The statement read: 'In a blink of an eye our world came crashing down in the most heartbreaking and traumatic way.' Holford also received a two-year concurrent prison sentence for actual bodily harm of Everleigh's anus which happened the same night. In the sentencing hearing, Ms Marshall said: 'The actual bodily harm undermines any suggestion that this was one single act born of one motivation and the motivation was described by the defence as perhaps frustration or flash of anger. 'We say that suggestion is undermined by the actual bodily harm.' During the trial Holford also admitted he had 'manipulated' his girlfriend's family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it. While in the witness box, he often answered questions to the effect of being unsure or not remembering what had happened the night he attacked Everleigh. 'The jury were sure that whatever your memory then or now you shook her meaning to cause really serious injury,' said Mr Justice Fordham. Text messages shown to jurors also suggest that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as 'Milo' because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: 'Could you strap me anything, as I've got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.' Holford will serve at least 16 years of his life sentence in prison before he is eligible to be released, minus the 351 days already served.
