"A statement from Henderson, from Iver Heath, released shortly after the court had made its decision last month, said: "Mrs Henderson and her family are absolutely devastated by the judgment but in fact not at all surprised. The whole five-year ordeal
has been totally based on unproven medical opinions only. Never at any time have the events that actually happened ever been taken into account and witnesses to this day remain uninterviewed.
"The underlying issue that there was no factual proven evidence against Mrs Henderson remains."
The 44-year-old was convicted in 2007 of shaking to death 11-month-old Maeve Sheppard.
Since then serious doubts have been raised about the conviction and the validity of some of the expert evidence that was instrumental in the original decision.
The case has attracted the support of a number of women who have been wrongly convicted of shaking babies to death, and was even the subject of a Panaroma documentary, which looked into shaken baby syndrome."
REPORTER JACK ABELL; BUCKINGHAMSHIRE ADVERTISER;
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BACKGROUND: Keran Henderson, of Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, has always protested her innocence. She was in sole charge of 11-month-old Maeve Sheppard when she was taken to hospital unconscious and critically ill with brain injuries in March 2005. In November 2007 a jury at Reading Crown Court convicted Henderson, a mother of two, of manslaughter by a majority of 10 to two at the end of a five-week trial. She was jailed for three years and has since completed her sentence. During the trial medical experts for the prosecution claimed the injuries Maeve suffered could only have been caused by violent shaking. Her neck ligaments were "over-extended", indicating that her neck had snapped back and forth, the court heard. But Henderson, who had seven years' experience as a childminder and was also a Beaver Scout leader, claimed Maeve had a seizure while she was changing her nappy. Doctors fought to save the child but her condition deteriorated and her life support machine was turned off two days later after a short christening ceremony. Jailing Henderson the trial judge, Mr Justice Keith, told her: "Ruth and Mark Sheppard (Maeve's parents) trusted you to look after Maeve. We do not know what really happened to make you snap in the way the jury found that you did. Your reputation as someone who parents can confidently leave their children with has been shattered. You are going to have to live the rest of your life with the knowledge that Maeve died in your care." Henderson, who ran her childminding business from her home in Iver Heath, was hired in January 2005 to look after Maeve. Prosecutor Joanna Glynn told the jury: "It is our case that Mrs Henderson violently shook Maeve and the medical evidence is that act caused Maeve's death. Ms. Henderson was released pending her appeal from prison after serving more than half of her sentence after new evidence was advanced by her lawyers which suggests that the science behind shaken baby syndrome is flawed.
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"KERAN Henderson has told of her anger and disappointment at the Court of Appeal turning down the appeal against her conviction for shaking a baby to death," the "Buckinghamshire Advertiser``' story by reporter Jack Abell, published earlier today begins, under the heading, "Devastated by Judgment.`'
"A statement from Henderson, from Iver Heath, released shortly after the court had made its decision last month, said: "Mrs Henderson and her family are absolutely devastated by the judgment but in fact not at all surprised. The whole five-year ordeal
has been totally based on unproven medical opinions only. Never at any time have the events that actually happened ever been taken into account and witnesses to this day remain uninterviewed
"The underlying issue that there was no factual proven evidence against Mrs Henderson remains." the story continues.
"The 44-year-old was convicted in 2007 of shaking to death 11-month-old Maeve Sheppard.
Since then serious doubts have been raised about the conviction and the validity of some of the expert evidence that was instrumental in the original decision.
The case has attracted the support of a number of women who have been wrongly convicted of shaking babies to death, and was even the subject of a Panaroma documentary, which looked into shaken baby syndrome.
Maeve Sheppard died in 2005 while being looked after by Henderson.
Henderson, who has now served her sentence, has always maintained the girl suffered a seizure while having her nappy changed, and that Maeve had shown signs of illness on previous occasions when she was looking after her.
Appeal judge Lord Justice Moses said: "There remains the unsolved mystery of how as admired a childminder as this appellant should have been responsible for the use of excessive force, even momentarily, when handling this baby.
"But that was a problem with which the jury had to grapple.
"There is no basis upon which this court can say that the jury was not entitled, after being properly directed by trial judge Mr Justice Keith, to conclude that the expert evidence proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the defendant had shaken Maeve with excessive force."
Since Henderson's conviction in 2007, her appeal has gained huge support from residents in and around Iver Heath, who set up the Carers 4 Carers group to stand behind her."
The story can be found at:
http://www.buckinghamshireadvertiser.co.uk/south-buckinghamshire-news/local-buckinghamshire-advertiser-news/2010/06/30/devastated-by-judgment-82398-26756190/
Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;
