Mother in court outburst

Mother in court outburst

A mother was led screaming from court yesterday after a man was jailed for three years for shaking her two-year-old daughter to death. Peter Ford, 40, was babysitting while Dawn Allen, 23, was attending a family funeral, Nottingham Crown Court heard. He pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of her daughter, Juniann, on 23 August 1996.

The court heard that he was of low intelligence and had substantial difficulties. Mr Justice Astill told him: "I am satisfied your lack of judgement in using that degree of force was brought about by your disadvantages. You used a great deal of force simply because you thought she was misbehaving." But Ms Allen, from Nottingham, screamed from the public gallery as the sentence was passed: "You've got to be joking." As she was led out, she shouted at Ford: "You want life, you killed my daughter."