Mother of baby murdered by “psycho” South Yorkshire girlfriend freed from jail six years after the infant died
Frankie Smith’s daughter Star Hobson was just 16 months old when she was beaten and killed by Doncaster security guard Savannah Brockhill
The mother of a baby murdered by her “psycho” South Yorkshire girlfriend has been freed from jail six years after the infant was killed.
Frankie Smith’s daughter Star Hobson was just 16 months old when she was beaten and killed by Doncaster security guard Savannah Brockhill in 2020.
A trial heard Smith had become "obsessed" with Brockhill, shelving the needs of her little one.
Jurors at Bradford Crown Court heard that eight days before Star died, Brockhill took her to the Eco Power Environmental plant where she worked - and was caught on CCTV striking her 21 times in a three-hour period.
Self-styled “psycho” Brockhill was said to have inflicted “catastrophic” injuries on the toddler - who died in hospital in West Yorkshire in September 2020 after suffering a cardiac arrest following months of abuse.
Brockhill, then aged 28, was found guilty of murder and jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years.
Smith, 20 at the time, was found not guilty of murder and manslaughter but guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child. She was hailed for eight years - which was later increased to 12 years by the Court of Appeal.
This week a Ministry of Justice spokesperson confirmed Smith's release but said it was not part of the recent early release scheme.
In 2021 trial jurors heard Star endured months of physical assaults and psychological torture and a fatal punch or kick damaged her internal organs.
The injuries that caused Star's death were the result of “severe and forceful blow or blows”, either in the form of “punching, stamping or kicking to the abdomen".
Mrs Justice Lambert said Smith and Brockhill had filmed the little one’s suffering and "both found this funny". She added that Star was "caught up in the crossfire” of their relationship.