In 2021, the Offender Register confirmed that a court heard that the parents, James Clark and Helen Jeremy, of a five-week-old newborn boy murdered him after he was “shaken vigorously” and sustained 71 rib fractures.
In January 2018, Sean Clark was discovered deceased in his cot at his father’s residence near Bristol, at the age of 39 days.
He was assaulted at least three times during his brief life, sustaining head injuries and rib fractures, by either of his parents, James Clark, 31, or Helen Jeremy, 27. This information was presented to the city’s crown court.
Sean is alleged to have sustained severe thoracic injuries on the evening of January 11 and was subsequently the victim of a fatal attack three days later.
According to the prosecution, the majority of the evidence suggests that Sean’s father is accountable.
Jane Osborne QC, the prosecutor, informed the jury that the Crown’s case is that a catastrophic event occurred in the vicinity of the time Sean’s pulse and breathing ceased.
‘The evidence also supports the hypothesis that a second event occurred over 48 hours before his demise that was non-fatal.
“We are aware that this small child was injured on at least three separate occasions, as evidenced by the rib fractures.”
“The prosecution alleges that these two defendants were the only ones capable of inflicting those injuries.”
Clark resided with his mother in Warmley, South Gloucestershire, while Jeremy resided with Sean at her parents’ residence in Kingswood, Bristol.
They would spend the weekends at each other’s residences with Sean.
The court was informed that Jeremy and Sean had visited Clark’s residence on January 11 to spend the weekend.
According to Ms Osborne, the police’s accounts suggest that James Clark and Helen Jeremy spent the majority of their time in James Clark’s bedroom, either playing PlayStation games or watching DVDs or films, from Thursday evening to Sunday morning.
Sean was present for nearly the entire duration.
The prosecution alleges that Jeremy had used her phone to search on Google about babies coughing up blood hours after they arrived, which was the “first sign that something was wrong.”
She had also sent her mother text messages expressing concern for her son’s well-being, stating that he was crying frequently, particularly during feeding and when he was lifted.
Jeremy discovered her son’s body when he awoke on Sunday morning, and the emergency services were promptly notified.
Miss Osborne informed the jury that Sean Clark’s body was subsequently examined, and it was discovered that he had sustained 71 fractures to his ribs during his brief life.
There were at least three discrete occasions on which those fractures were inflicted, rather than all occurring simultaneously.
He was also discovered to have injuries that were consistent with and highly suggestive of being violently shaken shortly before his demise, as well as on at least one other occasion.
“The causes of his death were listed as the combination of those two substantial injuries.”
The prosecution alleged that Clark was responsible for the fatal injuries, while both defendants denied inflicting them.
He acknowledges that he was Sean’s primary carer from Thursday to Sunday, according to Ms Osborne.
‘He acknowledges that he was the one who interacted with Sean during the early hours of Sunday, when he was downstairs feeding and changing him.
He claimed that he was the first to rise on Sunday morning, even though it had been at least eight hours since he was last placed in his berth.
“He neglected to enquire about him.”
The prosecutor noted that Sean experienced two non-accidental events that involved a mechanism that was very similar, if not identical, during his time in James Clark’s care. The fatal event occurred on Sunday, while the sub-lethal event is likely to have occurred on Thursday evening, coinciding with the Google search for a baby coughing up blood. This is of great significance.
It is a logical and reasonable inference that James Clark was the perpetrator of the fatal event. Additionally, he is the perpetrator of the earlier event on Thursday evening due to the nearly identical combination of head injuries and rib injuries.
Ms Osborne also stated that there was a “short window of opportunity” for Jeremy to have been held accountable if Clark was either asleep or not present.
Clark, of Warmley, Bristol, and Jeremy, of Kingswood, Bristol, both deny the charges of homicide and causing or permitting the death of a child.
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