A nine-month-old baby was murdered by shaking, and the childminder from Lancashire was found guilty of manslaughter and given a 12-year-and-seven-month prison sentence.
Prior to the jury's induction, Karen Foster, 62, entered a guilty plea to a lesser charge of manslaughter. She was scheduled to go on trial at Preston Crown Court on March 1, 2022, for the murder of Harlow Collinge.
The prosecution spoke with Harlow's family before accepting her plea of manslaughter.
Described as a âhealthy and happy boyâ, Harlow was in the care of Foster, a registered childminder with nine yearsâ experience, when he sustained traumatic injuries resulting in his death.
Sentencing Foster, Mr Justice Cotter told her she âshould have been a safe pair of handsâ and was in a position of trust.
Headshot of Karen Foster
Karen Foster. Photograph: Lancashire police/PA
Instead she had taken on more children than her registration permitted, which had caused her to âlose her temperâ with Harlow.
âI have no doubt you snapped on the 1st of March 2022, in part due to the fact that you were not coping with the demands of caring for four children. You lost your temper and he was on the receiving end.
âYou shook an [almost] 10-month-old child so violently to cause devastating injuries. His death was caused in the course of an assault.â
In a victim impact statement read to the court before sentencing, Harlowâs mother, Gemma, wrote that Harlow had been a âhappy, smily baby whose giggle was infectiousâ but that she was âstruggling to remember even the good times with Harlowâ since he was killed.
âHow do I explain losing my son in such horrific circumstances? Harlow was enjoying his little life. He was a happy smiling baby,â she said.
The court heard how emergency services were called to an address in Hapton, Lancashire, after Foster reported Harlow was not breathing.
The boy was taken to Royal Blackburn hospital, where scans showed he had significant injuries to his brain. Foster was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
She was then charged with murder after a postmortem examination showed Harlow, who died four days later in hospital, had sustained a traumatic brain injury caused by âforceful shakingâ.
The basis of the manslaughter plea was that Foster had shaken Harlow in frustration after he toppled out of his highchair and began crying.
The defence counsel Michelle Colborne KC said Foster had lied to police, medics and Harlowâs parents after âpanic set inâ when she realised he was seriously injured. She said Foster had âtaken on too muchâ and was not a âbad human beingâ.
Karen Tonge, a specialist crown prosecutor, said: âHarlow was just nine months old when Foster forcefully shook him, causing a catastrophic head injury which led to his death just four days later.
âFar from being remorseful following Harlowâs death, Foster prolonged the trauma suffered by Harlowâs loved ones by refusing to take responsibility for her actions until the trial was due to start.â
The Crown Prosecution Service and Greater Manchester police investigation revealed Foster had lied to Ofsted about her personal circumstances and health, and that she had been caring for more children than her registration permitted. She had told parents she was a qualified nurse when that was not true.
Tonge said: âShe also lied to Harlowâs mother at hospital when she gave her the impression that she had âsaved himâ.
âIn the end, the strength of the evidence was such that Foster had no option but to accept she was responsible for Harlowâs death.â