Court shown CCTV footage of UK woman lunging at partner’s murdered toddler

The court heard disturbing details surrounding the lead-up to the tot's heartbreaking death.

Content warning: This article contains harrowing details of alleged child abuse.

A jury has been shown CCTV footage of one of two women accused of murdering a toddler lunging at the child. Sixteen-month-old Star Hobson died in hospital after suffering a cardiac arrest on 22 September 2020. Mum Frankie Smith, 20, and her partner Savannah Brockhill, 28, are currently on trial for her murder – which they deny. The Yorkshire tot had suffered "utterly catastrophic injuries" caused either from being punched, kicked or stamped on, Bradford Crown Court heard on Wednesday. According to BBC reports, prosecutor Alistair MacDonald said Star "suffered a number of significant injuries at different times," such as fractures to the back of her head and to her right shin. "Star had been repeatedly physically assaulted over the weeks and months before her death," he said. She was found "apparently lifeless" and pale when paramedics arrived to the couple's flat last year after one of the defendants called emergency services. She died in hospital an hour later. The court heard a post-mortem examination found lacerations on the toddler's internal organs and bruising over her lungs and abdomen, with the prosecutor saying it would be "absurd" to suggest these injuries could have been caused by another young child. [caption id="attachment_400267" align="alignnone" width="613"] Smith (Left) and Brockhill | Facebook[/caption] MacDonald also noted that Star was brought for no medical treatment of her injuries apart from the final call to emergency services on the day of her death. He told jurors of how internet searches looking up "shock in babies" and "how to bring a baby out of shock" were made 15 minutes prior to the ambulance being called. On Friday, the jury was shown CCTV footage from mid September 2020 of what appears to be Brockhill punching the infant. The footage showed the 28-year-old and Star in a car at a recycling site in Doncaster. Brockhill could reportedly be seen to seemingly lunge three times to where the baby was sitting in the back seat. The court was again told of internet searches in which Brockhill looked up "what happens if you get winded," "can you die from being winded" and "what happens to the body if it's not getting enough oxygen." CCTV from the family's flat block the next day showed Brockhill going up a stairwell whilst carrying the infant, who was visibly marked on the face. The prosecutor said Smith later texted Brockhill asking why Star had bruising, writing "stay away from us." In texts to Smith, Brockhill said Star was "a very nasty and naughty child." "She'll wreck your life. She's a brat and thinks nothing of you," another text from Brockhill to Smith said. The court previously heard how Smith's grandparents had witnessed their great-grandchild turn from a happy toddler into a "depressed child" in the months prior to her death. They also heard how Smith had been seen with bruises on her neck, arms, back and eye on two separate occasions, and that Brockhill allegedly had a "more controlling role in the parenting." If you have been affected by any of the details of this article, you can contact Women's Aid's 24 hour helpline on 1800 341 900 or Childline on 1800 66 66 66.