Mother torn between baby and work

A childminder has been jailed for shaking an 11-month-old baby to death. Keran Henderson had been trusted to look after little Maeve Sheppard but killed her instead, Reading Crown Court heard.

Maeve Sheppard was initially looked after by her mother

Like many new mothers Ruth Sheppard was torn between her desire to look after her baby girl and the financial pressure to return to work.

Mrs Sheppard told the court how she spent every waking moment with her daughter while on maternity leave.

She wiped away tears as she remembered a happy, trouble-free baby.

She and her husband Mark, who were childhood sweethearts before being reunited in adulthood, had struggled to make ends meet with the wages from Mr Sheppard's job as a toolmaker.

Half of me wanted to stay at home and the other half of me knew that we had to work Ruth Sheppard

That meant six months after the birth Mrs Sheppard was back at work part time as a credit controller for Manpower.

She told the trial: "I was a bit split on how I felt about going back to work.

"Half of me wanted to stay at home and the other half of me knew that we had to work and we didn't know if we could survive on one wage with a new baby."

The decision was no doubt easier to make knowing that one of the couple's closest friends had offered to look after her.

That arrangement worked well for a few months but then the friend told Mr and Mrs Sheppard that she felt Maeve was not getting enough individual attention.

Every precaution taken

With two growing boys of her own she told them she felt the little girl would get better care with a childminder.

As first-time parents Mr and Mrs Sheppard took every precaution in choosing a carer for Maeve.

Keran Henderson, who had looked after countless children in the area for years, was recommended to the couple.

It was not always easy to get a place in Henderson's caring rota, she often had children waiting for a vacancy, but a place had recently become free.

Keran Henderson had years of experience in minding children

The two women met at Mrs Henderson's Iver Heath home and got on well.

Mrs Sheppard confessed: "I had a very long list of questions" but Henderson was able to answer them for her.

Henderson fought back tears as Maeve's mother described how she warmed to her daughter's childminder.

"I was quite happy with the arrangements. It was very well-ordered house, she had a schedule and a routine, it was clean and tidy and we got on very well."

On the day that Maeve was taken to hospital with catastrophic brain injuries she comforted a "hysterical" Mrs Henderson.

"I think I gave her a hug and told her it was all going to be OK."

Henderson, 43, of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, was jailed for three years for killing 11-month-old Maeve by violently shaking her in a temper.

She had pleaded not guilty to manslaughter but was convicted following a five-week trial.