JOHN WARD AND KELLY HORNER FROM HULL: HORRIFIC BABY SCALDING CRUELTY REVEALED
In a disturbing case that has shocked the community of Hull, a young man named John Ward was sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for a brutal and deliberate attack on a four-month-old baby girl.The incident occurred after Ward, 19 years old, had spent the weekend heavily intoxicated and under the influence of various drugs, including 30 ecstasy tablets, 20 valium pills, amphetamines, cannabis, and alcohol.
He was supposed to be caring for the infant along with his girlfriend, Kelly Horner, 23, but instead, he inflicted severe injuries on the vulnerable child.
According to court proceedings, Ward’s drug-fueled state led him to commit an act of unimaginable cruelty.
He forcibly pushed the baby’s face into a scalding hot bath, causing her to suffer burns that covered approximately five percent of her tiny body.
The injuries were so severe that the skin was peeling from her face, a sight that horrified those involved in her care and shocked the court.
The young girl was left in agonizing pain, unable to communicate her suffering due to her age.
Hull Crown Court heard that Ward attempted to conceal his actions by falsely claiming that the burns resulted from spilled tea.
Prosecutors revealed that the baby was also found with two broken legs, injuries that could not be definitively linked to Ward, but which added to the evidence of ongoing abuse.
The court was told that Ward’s partner, Kelly Horner, admitted to one charge of cruelty by neglect towards the child, and her sentencing is scheduled for the following month.
Judge Jeremy Richardson, QC, delivered a stern judgment, condemning Ward’s actions and his state of intoxication at the time.
He stated, “It appears having taken a cocktail of cannabis, ecstasy, valium, amphetamines, and alcohol, you were in a position of responsibility for a child that was vulnerable and helpless.
You placed the baby’s face into scalding hot water.
I have no doubt she was in agony.
She must have struggled, and yet you did nothing.” The judge further criticized Ward for his delayed response, noting that he only began to act after five hours when the burns became visibly severe.
“You then started a cover-up, telling doctors that tea had been spilled on her,” he added.
The court described Ward as “wicked” and emphasized that he should never be entrusted with the care of a child again.
Photographs of the young girl, taken approximately an hour and a half after her admission to hospital, revealed the extent of her suffering.
Judge Richardson remarked, “The suffering from the burns leaps from the page.
She is so young she cannot explain her pain, which is entirely her innocence.
The cruelty inflicted here is almost beyond belief.
It was not an accident; it was deliberate cruelty committed while you were under the influence of drugs and alcohol.” He concluded, “You have low intelligence, but you knew exactly what you were doing.
What you did was truly wicked.
You should never have responsibility for a child again.” John Ward, of Willerby, Hull, pleaded guilty to charges of causing actual bodily harm, grievous bodily harm, and cruelty to the baby.
Meanwhile, Kelly Horner, of Beverley near Hull, admitted to a charge of cruelty by neglect to a child under 16, and her sentencing is set for next month.
