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| Mother jailed for crushing baby | Mother jailed for crushing baby |
| (40 minutes later) | |
| A mother has been jailed for eight years for inflicting a "horrific" series of injuries on her two-month-old son, who died hours later. | A mother has been jailed for eight years for inflicting a "horrific" series of injuries on her two-month-old son, who died hours later. |
| Claire Biggs, 27, from Newham, east London, repeatedly crushed her son Rhys, fracturing 17 of his ribs. | Claire Biggs, 27, from Newham, east London, repeatedly crushed her son Rhys, fracturing 17 of his ribs. |
| Biggs was found guilty of assault and her partner Paul Husband, 33, was found guilty of neglect. | Biggs was found guilty of assault and her partner Paul Husband, 33, was found guilty of neglect. |
| Inner London Crown Court heard that Biggs previously had a daughter who was taken into care in 2001. | Inner London Crown Court heard that Biggs previously had a daughter who was taken into care in 2001. |
| 'Extreme pain' | 'Extreme pain' |
| Because the cause of Rhys's death in May 2006 could not be established, the pair could only be charged with child cruelty. | |
| Biggs, a former crack addict, had denied the charges and claimed her boyfriend was "a murderer". | |
| Husband also denied the charges and is due to be sentenced at a later date. | Husband also denied the charges and is due to be sentenced at a later date. |
| In addition to having his chest repeatedly crushed, the infant also suffered a broken wrist and shoulder. | In addition to having his chest repeatedly crushed, the infant also suffered a broken wrist and shoulder. |
| Medical experts told the court that "severe" force must have been used with each action, which would have caused "extreme pain". | Medical experts told the court that "severe" force must have been used with each action, which would have caused "extreme pain". |
| The case has several parallels with the shocking abuse suffered by Baby P, as the attacks went unnoticed by health workers despite the mother's history. | |
| 'Agony' | |
| Against a backdrop of missed opportunities by health agencies and a breakdown in information sharing, she was able to repeatedly crush the helpless child's chest with impunity, fracturing 17 ribs. | |
| Biggs admitted her helpless son - whose blood-spattered clothes were found throughout their one-bedroom flat - once spent eight hours screaming in agony. | |
| During his short life Rhys came under the care of two London councils, first Newham, where he died, and Camden where his mother had spent time in a refuge. | |
| Apart from the mistakes made by the authorities, Biggs dodged a number of pre-arranged appointments. | |
| When one did finally take place, a health visitor described Rhys as "active and alert", while a senior paediatric physiotherapist who checked his club foot noted no "abnormal marks". |