CHUANFANG ZHENG SHAKES BABY IN LUTTERWORTH AND SOUTHWARK LEICESTERSHIRE

In March 2017, a tragic incident unfolded involving Chuanfang Zheng, a 31-year-old woman residing on Mortlock Close in Southwark, London, which resulted in the death of her seven-month-old niece, Phoebe Guo. The heartbreaking event occurred shortly after Zheng was entrusted with the care of the infant while Phoebe’s mother, Ling Ling, was working at the family’s Chinese takeaway.

According to court proceedings, Zheng, overwhelmed by the baby’s persistent crying, lost her composure and violently shook Phoebe at her residence in Lutterworth, Leicestershire. The incident took place approximately 30 minutes after Zheng was left alone with the child. The court heard that Phoebe suffered catastrophic injuries, including severe bleeding on her brain and behind her eyes, which experts classified as a result of “severe” and “repetitive” force, characteristic of shaken baby syndrome. The injuries were described as being at the severe end of the spectrum, indicating the brutality of the assault.

At the time of the incident, Zheng was caring for her own three children, aged five, three, and eight months, in addition to her niece. The court was told that Phoebe was initially well and showed no signs of ill health before the attack. Prosecutor Adrian Langdale explained that the flat in Lutterworth was small, and the environment was crowded with crying children requiring attention and feeding. Zheng herself described Phoebe as repeatedly crying and refusing to eat, but all parties agreed that Phoebe was healthy and behaving normally prior to the assault.

Following the attack, Zheng panicked and carried the unconscious Phoebe to the nearby family-run Chinese takeaway, the Great Wall, where she worked. She then rushed her to the hospital, but despite medical efforts, Phoebe succumbed to her injuries three days later.

During the trial, Zheng maintained her innocence, claiming that Phoebe had choked on food and lost consciousness, and she accused Phoebe’s mother, Ling Ling, of attempting to resuscitate her injuries. However, the evidence presented indicated that the injuries were non-accidental and inflicted through violent shaking.

In her sentencing, Judge Nicholas Dean QC acknowledged the difficulty in determining the exact sequence of events leading up to Phoebe’s death. He noted that it was most likely Zheng, frustrated by the baby’s crying, lost her temper and shook her in a moment of anger. The judge emphasized that this was not a case of a prolonged “end of tether” situation but rather a brief loss of control.

Despite the guilty verdict for manslaughter, Zheng’s family pleaded for leniency, with Phoebe’s father, Hon Gli Guo, expressing love and compassion for Zheng and requesting that she be allowed to reunite with her own children as soon as possible. Moved by this plea, Judge Dean reduced Zheng’s sentence from an initial consideration of eight years to six years in prison.

In his remarks, the judge highlighted Zheng’s lack of remorse, noting that she continued to deny wrongdoing despite the evidence. He reflected on the profound impact her actions would have on her own family, acknowledging the tragic loss of Phoebe and the pain inflicted upon all involved.