27 VISITS BY SOCIAL WORKER FAILED TO SAVE CHILD
A man who subjected his two-year-old daughter to a systematic campaign of violent abuse despite numerous visits by social services was jailed for life yesterday for her murder.Robert Brown, 33, was visited by the same social worker 27 times in the 10 weeks before he killed his daughter Chelsea.
On each occasion the social worker, Norma McDevitt, accepted his claim that he and his wife had not harmed the girl.
Ms McDevitt knew Brown was a convicted robber with a record of violent offences against children but took no action despite Chelsea's numerous injuries, Nottingham crown court was told.
Brown variously told Ms McDevitt that Chelsea had fallen in the garden, walked into a table, or banged her head while on a bus.
He also blamed his other daughter, claiming the 17-month-old left Chelsea battered and bruised by pelting her with toys.
Chelsea died on December 6 1999 after Brown shook her with a force comparable to that of a high speed car crash.
On the night of the attack at the family home in Kirk Hallam, Derbyshire, he pointed at his younger daughter and told paramedics: "There's the culprit." Chelsea died in hospital the following day.
A postmortem examination found 47 injuries on her head and body, including bruises running the length of her spine.
At the house, police found the imprint of her head in a ceiling where Brown had smashed her into it.
Bruce Buckley, director of social services at Derbyshire county council, accepted the authority had failed in its duty of care.
"We made mistakes and we got it wrong.
We terribly regret what happened to Chelsea," he said.
"But at the time she was returned to her home no one could have predicted the outcome.
The workers were concerned - that's why they visited so regularly.
But there were difficult decisions to be made, and in this case we didn't make the right ones." He refused to comment on Ms McDevitt's conduct and declined to say whether she was still employed by the council.
Sentencing Brown to life, Mr Justice Hunt said: "I have detected no remorse and no regret - simply an attempt to shift the blame on to your wife and accept no responsibility." Chelsea's mother, Maria Brown, 25, was jailed for 18 months after she admitted child cruelty.
"You have limited intellectual capacity but sufficient understanding to know what was going on," the judge said.
"You did nothing to protect Chelsea from your husband.
And I cannot ignore that you were also harsh in your punishments and often unfeeling."
