A man from Watford has been found guilty of killing his own daughter more than 20 years after he assaulted her when she was just a baby.
Dean Smith, 46, was found guilty of the man slaughter of his daughter, Maisie Newell and will now be sentenced on November 12.
Smith had assaulted his baby daughter in August 2000 at the family’s home when she was just four weeks old.
Smith had admitted to throwing the new-born across the room into her cot after becoming frustrated at her crying while his partner was out of the house.
He and his partner had concocted a story that their older child, who was aged 18 months, had been responsible for Maisie’s injuries after dropping her on the floor.
This was inconsistent with her injuries and was picked up by the clinicians treating her straight away.
In 2001, Smith, then aged in his mid-20s, was convicted of grievous bodily harm against Maisie. He was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.
The consequences of the attack for Maisie, who had been born healthy, were life changing and she was left with severe mental and physical disabilities.
Maisie sadly died at her home in Norfolk on 28 June 2014.
A post-mortem examination on 10 July 2014 recorded a causal link between her death and the assault committed against her by Smith in 2000.
Smith was arrested on suspicion of murder on 11 July 2014. He was released on bail and subsequently made the subject of no further action in March 2016.
A full review of the medical evidence and a report was produced; the case was reviewed and Smith was further arrested on 12 February 2019.
Detective Sergeant Sarah Fisher, from the Met’s Specialist Crime Command, said: “This was a horrendous act committed by Dean Smith on his four-week-old baby daughter.
“She lived for fourteen years severely disabled and in constant pain due to the traumatic head injury inflicted more than twenty years ago.”
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