In 2013, then 24-year-old Benjamin Roach, of Tailyour Road, Plymouth, was jailed for seven years after carrying out a predatory series of assaults against his four-week-old daughter, Roxie-Jo Hopkins-Roach. The investigation established that Roach shook the infant violently and threw her down onto a hard surface in September 2010. The prosecution reported at Plymouth Crown Court on 21 May 2013, that a jury unanimously convicted Roach of manslaughter, identifying a total abandonment of human decency by a father who killed his “helpless” baby the very first time he was left alone with her.
The investigation established that Roach’s series of behaviour involved a sustained campaign of deception following the attack. The prosecution reported that Roxie-Jo suffered “catastrophic” injuries—including those similar to a high-speed road crash—and would have been left blind had she survived. This identifies a calculated series of assaults on the life-safety of a newborn, which Judge Graham Cottle described as “utterly unforgiveable,” noting that Roach had spent nearly three years “preserving his own skin” rather than admitting the truth.
JUDICIAL SENTENCING AND DECEPTION REVEALED
The court reported that Roach initially told police he shook the baby in a “panic” after she began crying heavily, before later changing his story to claim he had dropped her four feet onto a floor. The investigation established that medical experts dismissed these claims, proving the injuries could not have been accidental. The prosecution reported in 2013, that Roach’s persistent evasion of responsibility denied the child’s mother, Kelly Hopkins, closure for over two years, identifying a priority assault by the justice system to ensure he faced a significant custodial term.
Judge-led proceedings at Plymouth Crown Court concluded with his seven-year incarceration in May 2013. For his actions in Plymstock and the nature of the series of child abuse and manslaughter investigations reported, Benjamin Roach was removed from the community. The investigation established that his forensic profile as a child killer is now a matter of permanent record. Following the verdict, the victim’s mother stated that justice had finally been served for her daughter.
STATUS AND CASE DETAILS (2010-2013)
Based on judicial and Devon & Cornwall Police records as of 2013:
- Legal Status: CONVICTED (Manslaughter; Child abuse).
- Custodial Status: JAILED (In 2013, serving a seven-year sentence).
- Offence Nature: Shook a four-week-old infant and threw her onto a bed or sofa; caused injuries equivalent to a car crash; lied to police and medical staff for nearly three years.
- Timeline of Case: Attack occurred 23 September 2010; Roxie-Jo died 24 September 2010; Convicted and sentenced May 2013.
- Location: Plymstock, Plymouth, Devon; Tailyour Road.
- Forensic Profile: Then 24-year-old male; forensic history documents a total loss of temper and self-control resulting in fatal force; identified by medical testimony as the sole perpetrator.
- Judicial Oversight: Presided over by Judge Graham Cottle.
- Criminal Record: Convicted child killer; Series predator; Infanticide perpetrator; Jailed in 2013.
- Origin: Plymouth.
MONITORING AND PUBLIC PROTECTION
In 2013, Roach is managed as a high-risk offender under the statutory requirements of the Multi-Agency Public Protection Arrangements (MAPPA) in the South West. Due to the nature of the behaviour—specifically the series of persistence in misleading authorities and the lethal physical violation of an infant—he is a priority for high-security incarceration. Authorities reported that the 2013 sentencing identifies Roach as an individual who prioritised his own freedom and “preserving his skin” over the principles of human decency and the life-safety of his child.
As a convicted child killer, his details are permanently logged on the national police database to ensure he is never again permitted to be in a position of care for minors. Authorities stated that the behaviour of Roach identifies a commitment to clandestine child abuse and the systematic evasion of responsibility. Any future attempt to assault the safety of others or contact the victim’s family results in immediate police intervention to ensure the ongoing protection of the community from a man who used a “father” mask to hide a predatory and persistent series of assaults.
QUESTION – Given that the offender “lied for nearly three years” while “preserving his own skin,” do you believe the law should legally mandate that “All Parents Convicted of Infanticide” must receive a “Mandatory Life Sentence without Parole” to prevent a series of assaults?
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