BREAKING NEWS: Kettering couple jailed after leaving baby with '˜life-changing' injuries

Rocky Uzzell was jailed at Northampton Crown Court for six years and a further two-and-a-half years on licence for causing serious physical harm to his five-week-old baby daughter and his partner, Katherine Prigmore, was jailed for 28 months for causing serious physical injury to his daughter.

Uzzell also received a further four six-month sentences for the possession of indecent images, to run concurrently

Katherine Prigmore and her partner Rocky Uzzell - who claimed to have an alter ego by the name of "Max" - appeared in the dock at Northampton Crown court today to be sentenced for charges dating back to 2014. Yesterday, at an earlier Crown Court hearing, opening the case, prosecutor Victoria Rose said the shocking details came to light shortly after paramedics were called to the couple's Kettering home in March 20 of that year.

Prigmore, 24, called for emergency services, reporting that the baby's limbs had "gone limp" and that the child was "vomiting”.

When medics attended the couple appeared more concerned with the fact it was Uzzell's birthday that day, the court heard.

However paramedics rushed the child to hospital after first resuscitating the infant. The baby was transferred to Leicester Royal Infirmary for treatment, but staff noted both defendants "acting strangely."

Instead of being concerned for the baby's welfare, staff overheard them talking of going to "Nando's" for dinner.

Baby A remained in hospital until March 28, when an MRI scan revealed swelling in the brain and over the next days further evidence of injuries were found consistent with squeezing.

The baby had marks on the arm which showed the wrist had been "over-extended" and a fractured tibia. Later a fractured leg was discovered.

Miss Rose said: "Experts concluded that these injuries were not accidental and that these actions would have hurt the baby."

Baby A remained in intensive care for some time after March 28.

In the meantime the couple were arrested and their mobile phones seized. Tests of the devices revealed the couple had made a shocking video.

"In one image (video) Mr Uzzell is shaking and moving the baby around forcibly," said Miss Rose.

"You can hear laughter in the background. That laughter is Miss Prigmore."

Further footage showed a cover being placed over the baby's head while it was being sick.

Under interview Uzzell initially claimed the video showed him "winding" the baby and said he had never been shown how to do it properly.

But medical experts showed the injuries were well beyond the normal handling of an infant.

Miss Rose continued to say the injuries have been life changing and have resulted in severe disability."

The child may never regain full sight, has only a vague perception of light and dark, epilepsy, and will undoubtedly suffer from global developmental delay, Miss Rose added.

The youngster, who has been moved to foster parents outside of the county, will almost certainly be bed or wheelchair bound for the rest of their life and will unlikely live beyond early adulthood.

Further computer equipment seized from the house also revealed Uzzell had 12 child sex abuse images, mainly of young girls. He will be sentenced for making indecent images of children tomorrow also.

Defending for him Mary Laurum, said Uzzell had a long-running personality disorder dating back to the age of 11, which often manifested in the form of a brutal alter-ego called Mack.

"This is a man who was brutalised from an early age," she said.

"Given the way that he was treated by his father maybe it is slightly inevitable that his life would not be easy to say the least."

She added that Uzzell accepts that it was he who committed the crimes as opposed to his alter ego.

For Prigmore, Helen Johnson, said the 24-year-old had been diagnosed with "dependent personality disorder," and had also experienced severe bullying in early life.