Indian-origin man gets life sentence for toddler murder in UK

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Jul 30 2016 | 4:57 PM IST
A 27-year-old Indian-origin man has been sentenced to life for the murder of a toddler son of his girlfriend in the UK.
Hardeep Hunjan was convictedof murder earlier this week following the death of 13-month-old Noah Serra-Morrison, who suffered15 fractures to his body, including a six-inch wound across his skull.
He was sentenced to serve a minimum of 23 years in jail at Luton Crown Court on Friday.
Noah's mother, 22-year-oldRonnie Tayler-Morrison, was cleared of murder but, along with Hunjan, jailed for six-and-a-half yearsfor causing or allowing the death of a child and of cruelty to a child under 16.
"In my view neither of you have provided a truthful account and it remains a mystery why you, Hunjan, attacked him," said Justice Baker.
"But at some stage you took hold of Noah and in addition to punching him to his head, you swung him into one of the walls with sufficient force to cause a fracture to his skull and all four of his limbs," Baker said.
The couple had claimed that Noah injured himself falling from his cot, a claim prosecutors said was implausible during the trial at Luton Crown Court in the east of England.
"This has truly been one of the most shocking and sickening cases of violence we have ever come across," Bedfordshire Police said.
The couple - who had a "chaotic" relationship fuelled by alcohol and cannabis - attempted to wash away forensic evidence in a shower in the "blind hope that somehow they might get away with it," prosecutor Jane Bickerstaff told the court.
The trial heard Noah was subjected to horrific and deliberate abuse for weeks before he died.
A post-mortem examination revealed that he suffered fractures to an arm and leg around a week before his death, and similar injuries to an arm and leg between four and six weeks before he died - 15 fractures in total, along with bruising over his entire body.
Medical experts said the boy's injuries were similar to those found in people involved in a car crash or who had fallen from a building.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jul 30 2016 | 4:57 PM IST

Next Story