Foster mum jailed for 6 years after shaking baby violently to death

Wendy Hardy

A foster mum has been jailed for killing a 23-month-old baby boy in her care by shaking him to death. Wendy Hardy, 46, assaulted little Harry Aspley just months after she took him into her care in December 2012. Hardy shook Harry violently on March 26, 2013 when she had trouble getting him to eat without vomiting at her home in Stoney Stanton, Leics. Despite the tot suffering massive brain injuries, callous Hardy placed him back in his crib and only called an ambulance when her husband David returned from work two hours later. Harry was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary but died of massive brain injuries five days later on April 1, 2013, the Mirror reports.
Hardy was jailed for six-and-a-half years after she admitted manslaughter and fraud at an earlier hearing. She initially was charged with murder but last November she pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter when she appeared at Leicester Crown Court. Sentencing her at Birmingham Crown Court, Judge Jeremy Baker said: “Harry was a very vulnerable child.
 “As an experienced foster parent you would have known all too well the risks of treating Harry in the manner you did.
“Knowing you had seriously injured Harry you failed to seek prompt medical help.
“After such attention was given to him, you lied about the circumstances of his injuries.”