Tottenham mother shook baby to death hours after social worker visit

The mother of a ten-week-old girl who died in 2018 has been found guilty of infanticide following a six-week trial at Wood Green Crown Court. 

The court heard that Lauren Saint-George, 25, lost her temper, inflicting fatal head injuries, 18 rib fractures, a leg fracture and severe bruising on her 10-week-old daughter, Lily-Mai Saint George. This happened hours after a visit from a social worker, during which Lauren – of Belmont Road, N15 – was told that she would have to go into residential care if she wanted to keep her daughter. 

Lily-Mai was born prematurely in 2017, and kept in Barnet Hospital for more than two months as a result. Her parents were homeless at the time, and healthcare professionals warned against discharging Lily-Mai into their care, saying that she was at risk of neglect. The court heard that staff were shocked when Lauren said she “hated” the noises Lily-Mai made and wished she would “cry instead of groaning”. 

Despite this, Haringey social services transferred sole care of Lily-Mai to her parents, Lauren and Darren Hurrell, 25, in January 2018.

The attack took place six days after Lily-Mai came home to the flat in Ducketts Green. Following the attack, a 999 call was made with Lauren stating that Lily-Mai was unresponsive. The baby was rushed to North Middlesex Hospital, then to Great Ormond Street, where she died due to the extent of her injuries. 

Prosecutor Sally O’Neill QC told the jury: “Lily-Mai’s death could almost definitely have been avoided if she had not been discharged into the care of two people who were woefully unsuited to caring for her.”

The ‘infanticide’ verdict means the jury decided that Lauren was not fully responsible for her actions due to the effects of childbirth. She was found not guilty of murder, manslaughter and child cruelty, and will be spared jail time, with Judge Mr Justice Spencer saying she has “suffered enough already”. 

He also said: “It is quite clear to me you were depressed, still suffering from the effects of the birth at the time you committed the act that caused the death and the verdict of infanticide is one that has traditionally evoked sympathy rather than punishment.” 

Lily-Mai’s father, Darren, was cleared of child cruelty. 

Lauren’s sentencing has been adjourned until 9th September.