Grinning on her way to prison: Sick foster mother smirks after shaking toddler to death
THIS is the grinning face of a sickening foster mother who shook a toddler to death, as she was jailed for the horrific abuse.
Wendy Hardy was pictured grinning before trial
Wendy Hardy, 46, violently assaulted 23-month-old Harry Aspley after taking him into her care a few months earlier.
The ill youngster, who was not able to eat without vomiting, was shaken so aggressively he suffered brain injuries.
Hardy then put the toddler back in his crib and only called emergency services two hours later when her husband returned from work.
Harry, who was breathing but unresponsive, was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary.
The toddler died in hospital six days after becoming unwell at his home in Stoney Stanton, Leicestershire, in March, 2013.
Harry Aspley was rushed to Leicester Royal Infirmary
Knowing you had seriously injured Harry you failed to seek prompt medical help
Yesterday, Hardy was finally jailed for six-and-a-half years after admitting manslaughter and fraud.
Hardy, who had fostered children for five years, was pictured smiling outside the court room before she was sentenced.
Police said little Harry had suffered a "non-accidental" head injury "consistent with being shaken".
The foster mother was initially charged with murder six months after Harry’s death but pleaded guilty to manslaughter at Leicester Crown Court in November last year.
Hardy bas been jailed for six-and-a-half years
Hardy also wrongfully claimed £27,460 for fostering two children from November 2012 to September 2013 who were not actually in her care at the time.
She splurged most of the money on a car and a holiday to Turkey.
Judge Jeremy Baker, sentencing, told her: "Harry was a very vulnerable child.
"As an experienced foster parent you would have known all too well the risks of treating Harry in the manner you did.
"Knowing you had seriously injured Harry you failed to seek prompt medical help.
"After such attention was given to him, you lied about the circumstances of his injuries."
The toddler died in hospital six days after the incident
Harry was first put into care after being assaulted in December 2012 and had developed problems and bouts of temper tantrums.
Mrs Hardy’s husband David was given a 21-month sentence suspended for two years for fraud and only escape a prison sentence because he was the sole carer for two young children.
The couple were also charged with cruelty to neglect as Harry had lost a quarter of his body weight since being in care.
Charges of child cruelty against the pair - which involved neglect between December 2012 and March 2013 - will "lie on file", a police spokesman said.