Woman tried to murder child

Defendant threw young victim headfirst to the ground

A woman has a d mitt e d attempted murder after she threw a young child head first to the ground, causing serious injuries.

Kim Clark, of Ashford, entered the plea shortly before she was due to stand trial on Monday.

The 34-year-old denied attempting to wound her partner, David Hamer, with intent to do grievous bodily harm after arming herself with a knife, and the charge was left on file.

Clark had denied attempted murder and pleaded guilty to causing the child grievous bodily harm with intent, but prosecutor Christopher Tehrani QC said the intention was to proceed to trial on the more serious charge.

The defendant then changed her plea after her QC, Alan Kent, said she did not wish to have a trial.

The judge, Mr Justice Spencer, questioned whether Clark’s intention to kill the victim was formed on the spur of the moment in February last year.

But Mr Tehrani said that before Clark threw the child to the floor, she said: “I am sorry what I am about to do.”

She then lifted the tot to shoulder level and threw it head first to the ground.

The child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, suffered head fractures.

Mr Tehrani said the victim was too young for there to be a definitive prognosis for the future.

Clark has been detained at Maidstone Hospital’s Trevor Gibbens psychiatric unit, and was accompanied in the dock by two nurses.

Mr Kent said Clark, who has a personality disorder, could be detained further under the Mental Health Act.

Adjourning sentencing for further psychiatric reports, Mr Justice Spencer said: “It is a very serious case.”

Picture: Paul Dennis Maidstone Crown Court