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Father jailed for life for shaking baby daughter to death because he wanted to watch the football

<em>Hope Sofia was killed by father Neil Smith while he was looking after her on his own for the first time (Picture: SWNS)</em>
Hope Sofia was killed by father Neil Smith while he was looking after her on his own for the first time (Picture: SWNS)

A father has been jailed for life for shaking his baby daughter to death because he wanted to watch football on TV.

Neil Smith will serve a minimum of 13 years in prison for killing four-month-old Hope Sofia while looking after her on his own for the first time while wife Nicola went out for the night.

The 33-year-old, of Willenhall, West Midlands, was found guilty of murder following a trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

The court heard Smith, who suffered head injuries after an industrial accident in 2015, was watching football on TV on August 4, 2017, when he shook Hope before slamming her down on a soft surface.

<em>Neil Smith was jailed for life for killing daughter Hope (Picture: SWNS)</em>
Neil Smith was jailed for life for killing daughter Hope (Picture: SWNS)

Just ten minutes after Nicola made a FaceTime call to check on her daughter, she received a call saying the tot was “floppy and lifeless”.

She rushed back to their home and Hope was taken to hospital and slipped into a coma. Her life support machine was switched off in November that year.

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A post mortem revealed Hope had suffered catastrophic brain injuries, consistent with being shaken and thrown onto the sofa.

Speaking after the case on Friday, Detective Sergeant Nick Barnes, of West Midlands Police, said: “We will never really know what caused Smith to turn so aggressive and violent against his own daughter.

“He appeared intent on watching a football match on TV that night and maybe the frustration of having to care for the needs of his own flesh and blood manifested itself.

“But whatever the reason, there can never be any justification for leaving his very young daughter with catastrophic injuries.

“This has left a devastating impact on the rest of family who are still coping with their loss.”

In a statement, Hope’s mother Nicola said: “When Hope Sofia was born it was like the last part of a puzzle fitting into place.

“The date 4 August 2017, the day she was taken to hospital, was one of the worst days
of my life but it got worse.”

She said she could not forgive him for what he had done, adding: “I loved that man, I cared for that man, I loved him, for better for worse and in sickness and in health; but he snatched away our daughter’s life and has not been brave enough to accept it or to tell anyone why he did it.

“We cannot get closure because the question will always be, why did he do this?

“I will miss Hope Sofia every day and I will miss experiencing the life she would have had, those things other mothers get to share with their daughters, the things you take for granted.

“She will miss all of the opportunities in life to be a daughter, a granddaughter and a sister.”