Pregnant girl bailed over death

Aimee died as she ran away from her attackers

A pregnant teenager fighting her conviction for the manslaughter of a 15-year-old girl who collapsed after being attacked has been freed on bail.

The expectant teenager, also 15, is challenging her conviction along with two other girls aged 18 and 17, at London's Court of Appeal.

The trio were sentenced to two years in detention for Aimee Wellock's death.

Aimee suffered from an undiagnosed heart condition and died near her Bradford home last June.

We have regard to the fact that she is as young as she is and she is about to have a baby Lord Justice Dyson

During a nine-day trial at Leeds Crown Court in September, the jury heard Aimee's heart failed due to the strain of the attack.

After drinking at the Chellow Dene beauty spot in Allerton, the girls encountered Aimee and her friends and began bullying and intimidating them before attacking them.

Two youths intervened and told Aimee and her friends to run away, but as she fled for home she collapsed and died, the court heard.

Eighteen-year-old Claire Carey was also sentenced to two years for affray to run concurrently. Her co-defendants were given 18-month concurrent sentences for affray.

'Unusual' decision

But, their lawyers told the appeal court on Thursday their convictions are "unsafe".

Carey's counsel, Michael Harrison, said that the jury "could not have found that it was foreseeable that Aimee Wellock was vulnerable to heart failure".

After legal submissions, Lord Justice Dyson, sitting with Mr Justice Tomlinson and Mr Justice Andrew Smith granted the teenager bail stating it was "unusual".

"We are taking this unusual and wholly exceptional course because we have regard to the fact that she is as young as she is and she is about to have a baby," said Lord Justice Dyson.

It is not known when a decision on the three conviction appeals will be given.