East Lancs childminder jailed for killing baby Harlow Collinge

A childminder has been jailed for killing a baby under her care in Hapton. 

Baby Harlow Collinge suffered injuries consistent with being violently shaken by defendant Karen Foster at her former home in Mill Lane.

The North West Ambulance Service were called at 1.19pm on 1^st March 2022 following a report that nine-month old Harlow was in cardiac arrest.

He was taken to Royal Blackburn Hospital where it was discovered he had a significant and non-accidental injury to his brain.

Due to the nature and severity of Harlow’s brain injury and having given a number of conflicting accounts of how this injury was sustained, Foster was arrested at that time on suspicion of Section 18 grievous bodily harm.

Despite the best efforts of medical professionals, Harlow died on 5^th March 2022 surrounded by his loved ones.

A post mortem examination revealed that Harlow’s cause of death was inflicted traumatic brain injury. Foster was further arrested on suspicion of murder.

Following consultation with the Crown Prosecution Service, 62-year-old Foster was charged with Harlow’s murder.

After two years, faced with the indisputable and overwhelming evidence that she was responsible for killing Harlow, Foster pleaded guilty to his manslaughter when she appeared in the dock at Preston Crown Court last week.

Foster, now of no fixed address, appeared at the same court today where Mr Justice Cotter jailed her for 12 years and seven months. 

 In a statement, Harlow’s parents said: “We do not know where to begin explaining what it is like losing our son in the most horrific of circumstance.

“Our boy’s life has been taken away by a horrible, fake individual, who we trusted and who promised to care for him. 

“No words can describe how it has ruined our lives.

“Harlow was enjoying his little life, which he should have been able to live to the full. 

“He had everything he needed a family who loved him, sisters and brothers to look up to, laugh and grow with,

“Everything was perfect.

“His love of us all was clear to see. He was a happy, smiling, boy who loved to sing with his sisters. His giggle was infectious, he made us all laugh and was so loved by everyone who met him, except for one person.  He made us all love life being with him.

“The moment we got the call saying he had collapsed changed our lives forever.

“Harlow’s last few days of life were absolutely terrible.

“Watching each other experience his life ebbing away from us, was heart-breaking.

“He tried so hard to fight but, in the end, he just didn’t have the strength, she had done so much damage to him.

“The actions she has taken over the last two years make us sick.

“It is horrendous to put any grieving family through what she did.

“She still appears not to show any remorse for her actions. We question why she did not tell the truth from the start. It wouldn’t have changed the outcome for Harlow, but we would have had answers sooner.

“We could have started trying to claw back to some sort of life which now seems a long way off. 

“Our lives will never be the same, we have to try and salvage what is left.  

“We had trusted that woman to look after our Harlow, an innocent baby boy, but she took him away from all the family.

“That fateful day when Karen Foster shook Harlow to death will stay with us forever.”

Det Supt Allen Davies, of the Force Major Investigation Team, said: “Before this reprehensible assault committed by Karen Foster, Harlow Collinge was a healthy and happy baby boy who had his whole life ahead of him. That life was so cruelly and unfathomably snatched away by a woman who Harlow’s parents had put their trust in to keep their little boy safe.

“Having inflicted such a devastating and catastrophic injury on Harlow, Foster spun a web of lies which she continued to repeat to medical professionals, the police and Harlow’s parents about how he came to be so gravely unwell. Her purpose was to try and protect herself rather than be honest about the child she had a duty of care to keep safe.

“To make it worse for the family, Foster has continued with those lies for over two years, whilst they have been waiting for answers as to what happened to their son and why.

“This has been a detailed and meticulous investigation managed by a dedicated investigation team who have worked incredibly hard, along with the prosecuting team. The case of evidence proved beyond all reasonable doubt that Foster was solely responsible for Harlow’s unlawful killing, meaning Foster finally admitted her guilt last week.

“This case will without doubt leave a lasting impression on everybody who played a part in getting justice for Harlow. I would like to take this opportunity to publicly thank and praise everybody involved.

“My thoughts remain with Harlow’s family who have behaved with dignity while dealing with such an unimaginable and unexpected loss.  They have gone through so much pain, exacerbated by the amount of time it took Foster to admit to what she had done. They have endured every parent’s worst nightmare and have shown great strength and bravery.”