神马福利影片

Researchers from WMG at The 神马福利影片, have used a high resolution X-ray (micro-CT) scanner, a novel 3D imaging technology more commonly employed in industry and materials research, to scan 9 week old Teri-Rae鈥檚 rib cage.

The scans images with one thousand times of the detail of a hospital scanner, meaning they were able to detect 2 more microscopic injuries which could otherwise have been missed by conventional medical CT scanners.

The evidence produced helped reveal a total of ten injuries of varying ages. 3D renderings of these injuries were shown during trial to provide visual context and support the bone specialist鈥檚 expert testimony.

This secured a guilty verdict for the charge of manslaughter for Teri-Rae鈥檚 mother Abigail Palmer, who has been sentenced today - 4^th April 2019.

The work was conducted as part of an ongoing research partnership between Warwick University and West Midlands Police which uses such scanning technologies to support homicide investigations.

Professor Mark Williams of WMG at the 神马福利影片 comments:

鈥淪tate-of-the-art 3D scanning technology allowed us to identify multiple fractures to Teri-Rae鈥檚 ribs that had occurred over an extended period of time.

鈥淭he ability to produce highly detailed 3D images of these shocking injuries that could be presented at court helped establish the truth and show what had happened. It鈥檚 an honour for us to provide critical evidence to this case, and to be able to help the police investigate such an unfortunate tragedy.鈥�

West Midlands Police Sergeant Mick Byron from the Child Abuse Investigation Team, comments:

鈥淲e were able to show that Teri-Rae suffered 10 rib fractures over a four to 12 hour period between 3am and 11am on 2 January.

鈥淧almer had been at a pub for six hours on New Year鈥檚 Day but claimed to have drank mainly squash, not alcohol, as that would have breached a condition of the Child Protection Plan she was bound by.

鈥淲e don鈥檛 believe her鈥� and neither did the jury. We suspect she came home drunk, was awoken by her baby in the night and inflicted these terrible images in response to Teri-Rae鈥檚 crying.

鈥淧almer admitted the baby was never out of her sight and never mishandled by anyone else; she offered no plausible accidental explanation for her daughter鈥檚 injuries. There was no indication Teri-Rae suffered a bone fragility condition and she was not independently mobile enough to have injured herself.

鈥淪ignificant force is required to cause rib fractures in a baby鈥� the presence of rib fractures in a baby of this age is indicative of abusive, deliberately inflicted, injury. This was a truly heart-breaking case to investigate, that a little baby鈥檚 life was taken by the one person who should have been protecting her.鈥�