Rushden woman and Wellingborough man jailed after lying about how child suffered serious head injuries

Police were alerted in September 2020 after the ambulance service were called to an incident involving a child who had suffered head injuries.

Hayley Best, 37, and Steven Buckley, 32, were spoken to by officers and stated that the one-year-old child had sustained the injuries after they fell from a chair onto the hard floor in the kitchen of Best’s home in Wymington - although neither of them had witnessed this happening.

The pair did not seek medical help straight away as they claimed that the child appeared to have had no adverse reaction to the fall and hadn’t lost consciousness.

Best messaged a friend telling her that the child had been vomiting and asking for help.

Her friend arrived at the house and told Best to call an ambulance as the child looked pale and lifeless, despite Best insisting they were fine.

Best’s friend called an ambulance, and the child was taken to hospital where they were placed in intensive care with a fractured skull and a bleed on the brain, as well as unexplained bruising.

However, medical experts were concerned that the account provided by both Best and Buckley did not account for the level of injuries sustained, which were deemed to be non-accidental.

Best and Buckley were arrested and after a four-week trial at Luton Crown Court, they were both found guilty of causing or allowing serious harm to a child.

On Friday (January 10) Hayley Best, of Headingley Road, Rushden, was sentenced to five-and-a-half years, while Steven Buckley, of Priory Road, Wellingborough, was sentenced to seven years, with an extended licence period of a further three years.

Detective Constable Charlie Sermons, who investigated the case, said: “This was a particularly upsetting and complex case, as it involved a young child who sustained serious injuries.

“Both Best and Buckley remained consistent in their version of events, blaming an unwitnessed fall that had been ruled out by medical experts, but neither could offer any further explanation as the cause of such significant injuries.

“There was also a significant delay in seeking medical attention as they attempted to try and cover up what had happened.

“Protecting children from harm is everyone’s responsibility, which is why it is important for anyone with concerns that a child is being neglected, exploited or abused, to report it.

"We must all play our part in protecting children.”