Babysitter admits killing child

Clark threw the child against a wall, the court heard

A babysitter has admitted killing a three-year-old girl who was found with more than 50 injuries.

Mark Clark, 20, repeatedly punched and kicked Chloe Bray and threw her against a wall.

He had been looking after the infant at her home in the Restalrig area of Edinburgh last February while her mother was at the bingo.

It is unlikely that the full circumstances leading up to Chloe's death will ever be fully known

Gerald Hanretty QC

Clark had originally been charged with murder but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of culpable homicide.

He will be sentenced next month.

Advocate depute Gerald Hanretty QC said the plea had been accepted because the "wicked recklessness" needed to establish murder could not be satisfied by the medical evidence in the case.

"It is unlikely that the full circumstances leading up to Chloe's death will ever be fully known," he said.

Pathologists said Chloe had died from blunt force trauma caused by blows or by her being struck against a hard surface, resulting in swelling to the brain.

'Normally developed'

They found 53 separate injuries or groups of injuries on the child, including three burn marks on her face, arm and abdomen.

Dr Paul Fineron told the trial that Chloe had been a "well-nourished, normally developed infant" prior to her death.

The court heard that Clark would sometimes stay overnight and babysit for Chloe's mother, his half-sister Geraldine Smith.

There were burn marks to Chloe's face

Mrs Smith, 34, said that on the night in question she had gone to the bingo leaving Clark and her four children in the house.

"When I left my children were alive and in their beds. Nothing happened to Chloe before I left," she said.

Mrs Smith said police arrived at the bingo and took her to the Royal Hospital for Sick Children in Edinburgh, where a consultant told her that her daughter had died.

During his trial Clark lodged a special defence blaming Mrs Smith and her now husband, James Smith, for Cloe's death.

Both denied causing any harm to the girl.

During the trial the court heard an 11-minute tape of a 999 call made by Clark.

Banged head

He told an ambulance controller that Chloe had blanked out and was making "funny noises".

He claimed she had suffered a few accidents recently and had fallen and banged her head.

Clark, formerly of Antigua Street, Edinburgh, was heard saying that it looked like Chloe was dying in front of his eyes.

Paramedics found the infant was not breathing and had only a very weak pulse.

Detective Inspector Wallace Campbell, who led the police inquiry, said it had been a very tragic and disturbing case.