Couple jailed for starving baby to death

John Howe, 23, and his wife Amanda, 23, a trained nursery nurse, were told by Mr Justice Douglas Brown: "You both allowed her to starve, and starve to death."

Preston Crown Court heard that 18-week-old Tara Howe died from severe malnutrition - weighing less than half her expected weight.

And her parents later admitted to police taking drugs before little Tara Howe were found dead on a bed.

The court heard that the child had also suffered dehydration, bronchial pneumonia and apparent blunt force injuries.

The couple of Dove Lane, Darwen, pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of Tara Jane, between June and October last year.

Mr John Roe, QC, prosecuting, said Tara was a pre-term baby and her mother had been taking amphetamines up to around a week before the birth. She had not attended ante natal classes.

The little girl was born well below weight suffering drug withdrawal and stayed in hospital until she was fifteen days old. Tara was only registered with a local GP several months later, despite repeated advice for this to be done earlier. Meanwhile, around the end of July a health visitor had noticed that Amanda Howe appeared "spaced out," but the defendant denied being on drugs. Tara was found dead on the evening of October 17 last year. An ambulance crew called to the address saw her in her clothes and on the bed. A postmortem examination carried out by Home Office Pathologist Doctor William Lawler found that the little girl weighted five pounds seven ounces at the time of death. This was less than half her expected weight.

Tara was in a severe state of malnutrition, dehydrated, had bronchial pneumonia and signs of blunt force were found on her abdomen and chest.

Mr Roe added: "The prosecution cannot say precisely who inflicted actual violence. It was either both or it was one.

"If it was one, then the other knew and participated by aiding and abetting, failing to stop the violence, by giving encouragement and by failing to assist when it was obvious the girl was injured."

Both defendants admitted to police having taken drugs in the couple of days leading up to their daughter's death. Amanda Howe even confessed to taking some 20 minutes before Tara's body was found.

She also said: "I have neglected her and I agree she needed hospital on three or four occasions."

The prosecution said the pair sometimes took drugs for 12 hours in a day. On occasions they would sleep from morning to tea-time. Mr Rock Tansey, QC for John Howe, said he had a very difficult childhood and had been a slow learner.

"With that as a background he never ever had any opportunity to learn the most simple, basic parenting skills."

The couple married in January 1996 and the relationship was up and down.

"He denies that he has ever deliberately hit Tara. The relationship with his wife began to deteriorate around spring of last year.

"Each became addicted to amphetamine and the rot set in from that time onwards.

"He never objected to Tara seeing the doctor. It was his wife's decision not to have any ante natal care."

Mr Tansey added that with support, the Howes had seemed reasonably to look after Tara. He said: "What is almost beyond belief is how these two defendants were left alone effectively to look after this child. They were each not very capable and under the influence of amphetamine they were clearly extremely incapable of properly protecting the child.

"The two defendants really needed close supervision. Tragically that was not done."

Mr Richard Henriques QC, defending Amanda Howe, said she was a trained nursery nurse.

He claimed her husband had used violence towards her and used violence towards Tara almost from the outset.

"On one occasion he picked her up by the leg and threw her round on to the settee. He picked her up and shook her before throwing her down. "In the last two weeks before her child's death she was simply not allowed to see Tara.

"She denies that she ever herself used physical violence."

Mr Henriques added that the woman had got to the stage where all her will had been broken.

The judge, Mr Justice Douglas Brown, sentenced John Howe to five-and-a-half years prison and Amanda Howe to four-and-a-half years imprisonment.

He referred to a photograph taken of Tara before the post-mortem examination as "shocking."

On at least three occasions she suffered gross violence with fractured limbs only explicable by shaking, lifting and rough lifting.

He told the defendants: "There is no doubt this tiny baby died substantially due to your gross and criminal failure to care for her.

"You both allowed her to starve and starve to death. It is not possible to differentiate between you in terms of your responsibility."

Baby-killer couple's marriage of doom

JOHN and Amanda Howe had a turbulent relationship from the start - but nobody could have predicted that it would result in the death of an 18-week-old child.

Ironically, the couple met when Amanda was at one of her many baby-sitting jobs.

After this first encounter they were inseparable and within weeks had decided to move in together.

After a short spell staying with John's sister the lovers embarked on a wandering existence, living in 10 different rented homes around Blackburn and Darwen before finally settling in Dove Lane, Darwen, just weeks before Tara's death.

Both come from large families; John with two brothers and five sisters and Amanda with two brothers and four sisters.

But there was no love lost between the two sets of relatives - a feud which was fuelled by the baby's death, erupted at the funeral and is still continuing today.

Amanda dropped out of the child care course she was taking at Accrington and Rossendale College and gave birth to the couple's first child in July 1995.

The same year they got married at Blackburn Register office.

They survived on benefits and were both believed to dabble in drugs - taking amphetamines regularly.

John was accepted as the dominant partner with a controlling personality, and domestic violence plagued their relationship.

Amanda gave birth to Tara Jane Howe at home on June 10 last year. John's mother, Pamela Mackey, continued a family tradition by helping to deliver the child on the settee.

Amanda had agreed to this because of her husband's dislike of other men, including doctors, looking at his wife.

The baby was three weeks premature and was just 3Ibs 9ozs Her first two weeks of life were spent in the neo-natal unit at Queen's Park Hospital.

Just over four months later, Tara was dead.

An ambulance was called by Mrs Mackey at around 6pm on October 16 1996. She had been contacted by her son shortly before and made the call from Dove Lane.

The police were alerted and couple were interviewed at length by detectives.

They were charged with manslaughter of their 18-week-old daughter two days later.

The baby had been dead for "some time" before the 999 call had been made.

Malnutrition and injuries to the stomach and chest were among the cause of death.

To the distress of both families, no photograph had ever been taken of Tara Jane Howe during her tragic and short life. Her ashes are with Amanda's family.

Tara's gran blames 'no-good' dad

THE phone rang and Tara Howe's grandmother got the call that will haunt her for the rest of her life.

Dot McArthur's blood ran cold as she heard the words -Amanda's baby is dead.

"I don't know how, but I knew straight away that Tara had been killed," she said.

"The past year has been a living nightmare. But I can't sit here crying, as much as I'd like to, because I've got the rest of the kids to think about."

Dot, 41, feared the worst when her 19-year-old daughter came home three years ago claiming she had something important to say. "At first I thought she must be pregnant. Then she said her new boyfriend John wanted them to move in together.

"I hadn't met him at this stage. I told her I thought she was being silly, but she wasn't a baby and I knew I couldn't really stop her."

Dot's love for her daughter eventually brought her round to the idea of letting the courting couple stay at her Blackburn home for a few months.

"Right from the start I knew John was no good," she said.

"I tolerated him because of Amanda. He made her life hell but she seemed to be under some sort of spell and never stood up to him."

During the next two years, John and Amanda moved from house to house, never settling in one place for long. Amanda gave up her college course and fell pregnant with their first child and got married to John.

Dot's relationship with her daughter was often strained.

"He hated me because I stood up to him," she explained.

"It got to the stage he wouldn't let Amanda see me. He saw her as his possession."

It was only after the first child was born that mother and daughter started to become close again.

"After the baby arrived they fell out with John's family so I was able to see Amanda every day, but it didn't last," Dot said.

"John got in trouble with the police and it led to a massive row." It was at this point in the couple's stormy relationship that Dot believes the imminent tragedy could have been averted.

She said: "Amanda was frightened to death of him. She was constantly being beaten black and blue.

"When she pleaded with me to let her come come with her baby I didn't hesitate. She was terrified of telling him she was pregnant with Tara.

"She said he had told her he didn't want any more children and would kill her and the baby if it ever happened."

Everything seemed to be going well until the telephone calls started from his family. Amanda went back to John leaving a note saying she couldn't put her mother through any more hassle.

For a time, Dot had no idea where the couple were living.

Rows between the two families continued.

Dot said: "When Tara was born John said I couldn't go and see her in hospital. But two days before she was due to go home he finally agreed to let me see her.

"I picked up and fed her but I never thought it would be the last time I would see her."

Amanda was in the police cell at Blackburn the next time Dot saw her.

"I'll never forget seeing her face," Dot said.

"It was like looking at a corpse. She had bald patches all over her head and kept saying 'Please get my babies for me.' I never want to experience that again."

During the couple's months on remand, Dot visited her daughter every week.

She said: "My Amanda had a good upbringing and comes from a close family.

"John controlled her life and took her away from us. She loved kids and would never do anything to intentionally hurt her own.

"Everyone has regrets and hers will always be that she got involved with John Howe.

"She will have to live with what has happened for the rest of her life."

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