Kandyce Downer, 35, had been beating 18-month old Keegan Downer (formerly known as Shi-Anne Rose) over the course of a few months.
Overall, Keegan’s body had more than 200 separate injuries, which included 153 scars, abrasions and bruises. Other injuries included a spinal leg fracture (which would have made the slightest movement agony), seven broken ribs, and severe head injuries (of which the resulting scar tissue was preventing the brain from growing, stunting Keegan's development).
The toddler had been beaten so violently that "she resembled a car crash victim". During the court hearing, the judge stated that "Keegan suffered considerably in the last days and months of her life". Forensic officers had found 80 blood splatters near Keegan's cot.
The toddler had originally been taken from her heroin-addicted mother (a distant relative of Downer), after which Downer was given legal guardianship of the toddler.
Prior to gaining custody of Keegan, Downer had tried to adopt Keegan's older sister, but was unsuccessful (thank heavens for that).
Downer, who has 4 other children, had left Keegan alone at home for 2 hours to take another child to a wedding rehearsal, during which time Keegan suffered a cardiac arrest and collapsed in her cot. Downer came home to find her unconscious.
Before calling emergency help, Downer tried to get rid of the evidence by dumping Keegan's blood-stained mattress near a large garbage container (dumpster, or skip), but she was recorded on CCTV. Afterwards, she even tried to blame her teenage son for Keegan’s death after claiming most of the ‘day-to-day’ care was down to him and her three younger children.
Keegan was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, her death attributed to a combination of head injuries, septicemia (blood infection) and blunt chest trauma.
It never ceases to amaze me what people will do for money (she was getting £125-a-week maintenance payments from the government). Why should taxpayers pay for a baby to be tortured?
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