Babysitter jailed for killing toddler is freed after retrial
Feb 09, 2010
from Helen Pidd's article in the Guardian:
A babysitter who served three years in prison for killing a toddler was cleared of murder yesterday after a retrial. Suzanne Holdsworth, 38, of Leeds, wept as she was acquitted of murder and manslaughter by a jury at Teesside crown court after a long campaign to clear her name.
She was jailed for life in March 2005 after being found guilty of murdering two-year-old Kyle Fisher, who died from severe brain damage while in her care in 2004. But the court of appeal overturned her conviction this year after an investigation by the BBC's Newsnight raised doubts about medical evidence at the first trial.
At the new trial, testimonies from two senior doctors rubbished original evidence which suggested Holdsworth had repeatedly banged Kyle's head against a wooden banister with as much force as a 60mph crash after losing her temper.
The jury heard that the doctors who gave evidence "got it wrong" and "collectively failed to diagnose" that Kyle had a "highly unusual brain", with abnormalities that predisposed him to epilepsy.
This video adds this dimension to the story: Holdsworth's fight for vindication was paid for by legal aid, but others may not find this available in the future because of pressures on the legal aid system.
