Harlow Collinge: Burnley childminder Karen Foster jailed for 12 years
A Lancashire childminder who killed a nine-month-old baby by shaking him to death has been sentenced to 12 years and seven months in prison for his manslaughter.
Karen Foster, 62, had been due to stand trial at Preston crown court for murdering Harlow Collinge on 1 March 2022 but pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of manslaughter before the jury was sworn in.
The prosecution accepted her manslaughter plea after discussions with the baby’s family.
Harlow, described as a “healthy and happy boy”, was in the care of Foster, a registered childminder with nine years’ experience, when he suffered traumatic injuries resulting in his death.
He had been dropped off at the defendant’s address in Hapton, Burnley, on March 1 2022.
Later that day she called 999 and told the operator that Harlow was not breathing, the court was told, and went on to inform a paramedic he had suddenly collapsed.
Harlow was rushed to hospital but died four days later.
The boy was taken to the Royal Blackburn hospital, where scans showed he had significant injuries to his brain. Foster was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of grievous bodily harm.
She was then charged with murder after a postmortem examination showed Harlow had suffered a traumatic brain injury caused by “forceful shaking”.
The basis of the manslaughter plea was that Foster had shaken Harlow in frustration after he toppled over out of his high chair and began crying.