10 Years For Mother Who Killed Baby 23 Years Ago
JUDE SHEERIN

A WOMAN convicted of killing her baby daughter more than 23 years ago was jailed for ten years yesterday. Jennifer Liehne, 42, was found guilty by a majority verdict last month of the culpable homicide of seven-month-old Jacqueline Smith.

Advances in medical science helped to prove that Liehne, formerly of Peffermill Road, Edinburgh, suffocated the infant five days before Christmas in 1982.

Handing down an extended sentence of 15 years, of which the custodial part will be ten years, with the remainder after her release under supervision, Lord Hardie told the High Court in Glasgow that Liehne had committed a "truly wicked" crime.

The judge told Liehne: "There's no greater bond than that of mother and child. Throughout the seven months of her short life, Jacqueline depended on you and trusted you to care for her. For some reason, you chose to abuse that trust and that abuse manifested itself in criminal activity."

He added: "You persisted in your abuse of Jacqueline until you killed her. As reports do not indicate that you suffer from mental illness, your actions can only be described as truly wicked."

Liehne stared blankly during the judge's remarks, but sobbed as she was taken down. She was initially accused of murder, but the charge was reduced to culpable homicide during the trial. She was also convicted of assaulting the child to the danger of her life on other occasions.

The trial heard that Jacqueline died in a flat in the capital on 20 December, 1982, just days after turning seven months old. It was assumed at the time that she had died of cot death brought on by pneumonia, although suspicion hung over Liehne.

Medical experts later questioned the post-mortem findings and said signs of bleeding in the baby's lungs could have been caused by interference with her breathing. At the start of the trial, the infant's father, William Smith, 47, told the court that he was married to Liehne from 1981 to 1995 and the couple had had three children.

The hospital porter said his former wife frequently had their second child, Jacqueline, in Edinburgh's Royal Hospital for Sick Children in 1982. On each occasion, Liehne said Jacqueline had been turning blue, but the child's illness was caused by repeated incidences of smothering.

Passing sentence yesterday, Lord Hardie said Liehne was not suffering from mental illness but may have a personality disorder. He said reports suggested she might have Munchausen's syndrome by proxy, but this would not justify placing her in a psychiatric unit.

He said: "You are assessed as being of high risk of reoffending and high risk of harm. You are considered to be a danger to children and young people from a physical, emotional and psychological point of view."

The judge said that following the custodial part of her sentence, Liehne would remain under supervision for five years to ensure that she did not come into contact with any grandchildren or attempt to babysit for people unaware of her past.

An investigation into Jacqueline's death was reopened by a paediatric pathologist in 2001 when Liehne became pregnant again. Social workers were monitoring the mother because her two surviving children, who are now adults, had been subject to child protection investigations throughout their lives.

When Liehne's next child was born in 2002, it was taken into care as investigators became convinced of foul play over Jacqueline's death.

Chief Inspector Jacqueline Conway, of Lothian and Borders Police, said: "Child protection agencies and the team of investigators, social workers, health professionals and the police were determined to bring the matter to justice. But there is little satisfaction, because Jacqueline should have been celebrating her 24th birthday this Sunday."

Source: http://news.scotsman.com/index.cfm?id=709402006

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