Crowborough murder trial: Murder charge dropped against mum

Tiffany Tate, 22, is no longer accused of the murder of her eight-week-old baby daughter, Holly, who died after suffering injuries consistent with being violently shaken at her home in September 2018.

The Crown Prosecution Service confirmed it was explained in court to the jury that the evidence over the course of the trial made it clear that the appropriate charge for Miss Tate was causing or allowing the death of a child, rather than murder.

Holly’s father, Michael Roe, 33, is also on trial at Hove Crown Court, charged with Holly’s murder and causing or allowing her death.

Holly suffered brain injuries at least three different times and her tiny rib cage had been fractured in 12 places before paramedics found the eight-week-old cold and unresponsive.

The final head injuries would have left Holly unconscious despite the extreme pain from her rib fractures, the jury was told.

Former foster child Miss Tate was only 19 when she moved in with Mr Roe.

They lived together at Alderbrook Road in Crowborough when baby Holly was born two months premature on July 14, 2018.

Emergency services were called to the house in the early hours of Monday, September 10, 2018 after the couple reported she was not breathing.

Holly was found to be cold, not breathing and with no heart activity at all, the jury was told.

Paramedics battled to save her before she was taken to Pembury Hospital in Tunbridge Wells where she was pronounced dead.

Port-mortem examinations showed eight-week-old Holly had suffered head injuries on three different occasions before her death and 11 rib fractures.

The first was a few weeks before her death, the second several days before and the final brain injury within 48 hours, the jury was told.

The pattern of injuries showed they were the result of non-accidental and abusive head trauma, consultant neuropathologist Prof Safa Al-Sarrau said.

Forensic Pathologist Dr Charlotte Randall said her death was due to head injury.

The likely mechanism of Holly’s injuries would have been violent shaking, she said.

Multiple fracture injuries to Holly’s ribcage were also often associated with shaking-type head injury, the jury was told.

Former consultant paediatric neurosurgeon Peter Richards said in his opinion Holly’s behaviour would not have been normal following the injuries she suffered.

Dr Nicola Cleghorn said Holly would have been extremely distressed by the pain from her rib fractures. They would not have been caused during resuscitation, the jury was told.

The trial continues.