In 2019, the Offender Database recorded that Hannah Cobley, then 29, of Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, was jailed for life for the murder of her newborn daughter. On appearing at Leicester Crown Court for sentencing, it was reported that the former grammar school pupil had killed the infant in the early hours of 26 April 2017. The court reported that Cobley had kept her pregnancy a secret for eight months before giving birth at her parents’ farm.
The investigation established that Cobley silenced the crying baby by forcing an object down her throat and inflicting three skull fractures. Leicestershire Police reported that she then wrapped the 32-week-old girl in plastic bags and abandoned her in an overgrown area of the farm to die. The prosecution reported that medical tests revealed the baby survived for two hours in the undergrowth before succumbing to her injuries.
Judicial Findings and Investigative Detail
The court reported that Cobley’s mobile phone records showed premeditated searches regarding “signs of stillbirth” and how long a newborn can survive without food. Leicester Crown Court heard how she had previously given birth to another child, referred to as Child A, in similar secret circumstances. The prosecution reported that although Cobley claimed the baby had been stillborn after falling into a toilet, a consultant neuropathologist described the injuries as some of the most severe ever seen in a newborn, likely caused by swinging the infant against a solid surface.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Jon Blockley noted that Cobley could have sought professional help but instead took actions that denied a newborn girl her life. For her actions in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, she was found guilty of murder by a jury that deliberated for less than two hours. The judge noted that Cobley’s decision to silence and discard the child demonstrated a “chilling” lack of compassion and mandated a life sentence with a significant minimum term.
Sentence and Statutory Requirements
For her crimes in England, Hannah Cobley was handed:
- Custodial Sentence: Life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years.
- Judicial Oversight: Sentenced at Leicester Crown Court following a murder conviction.
- Criminal Record: Convicted of the murder of her newborn daughter.
- Origin: Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire.
Monitoring and Public Protection
Cobley is managed by the prison estate and will be subject to lifelong supervision by the National Probation Service if she is ever released on licence. Due to the violent and calculated nature of the killing in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, any eventual release would be determined by the Parole Board and involve stringent conditions.
Following her conviction, authorities emphasized the tragic and preventable nature of the case. Cobley’s history of secret births and the extreme violence used against her second child necessitates that she remains a person of interest for public protection agencies. Any breach of her future licence conditions or involvement in further misconduct in Leicestershire or elsewhere will result in an immediate return to prison to serve the remainder of her life sentence.
If you or anyone you know has been affected by the individuals highlighted on this website, please report them to the Police on 101 (999 in an emergency) or visit their online resources for further details on reporting a crime. You can also report to Crimestoppers if you wish to remain completely anonymous. There is help available on our support links page.