A British court found sufficient evidence to convict 29-year-old Hannah Cobley of killing her newborn daughter.
According to the New York Post, the mother could spend the rest of her life behind bars in connection with the multiple injuries that caused the young victim’s death more than two years ago.
The Leicester Crown Court jury responded to presented evidence including internet searches for phrases including “how long can a baby survive without being fed” and “what happens when a newborn baby is dropped.”
Cobley argued that the girl was stillborn and her mother said the defendant did not know she was pregnant.
Nevertheless, prosecutors shared details of the injuries — among the most severe being multiple skull fractures and a brain injury — and said the premature baby’s mother shoved a foreign object down her throat to stop her from crying.
Detective Inspector John Blockley, the senior investigating officer in the case, issued a statement in the wake of the trial’s conclusion.
“This is an extremely sad and tragic case which has resulted in the death of a newborn baby girl, born at 32 weeks,” he said. “Hannah Cobley had previously denied being responsible for her baby’s death but, following this investigation, has today been found guilty of murder.”
The baby was reportedly found next to a shed on property owned by the defendant’s parents. She was reportedly wrapped in a bag and left in a garden area nearby.
After four weeks of testimony, jurors deliberated for less than two hours before returning the guilty verdict.
Cobley is expected to be sentenced later this week.
[Featured image: Hannah Cobley, Leicestershire Police]
