Jacob Crouch: appeal to increase sentence of Derbyshire killer step-dad and mother rejected

An application was made under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme but this was rejected by the Attorney General’s Office. It means Crouch will serve a minimum of 28 years before being eligible for release whilst Gemma Barton, Jacob’s mum, will serve just four years of her 10 year sentence and be free by the end of 2027.

Referrals under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme are only successful when there has been a ‘gross error of judgement’ in the application of sentencing guidelines so it was always unlikely the applications would succeed.

Jacob Crouch died in his cot on December 30, 2020 – aged just 10 months old – having lived his short life in a ‘culture of cruelty’. A trial at Derby Crown Court heard how the baby was assaulted on a regular basis and died from a ‘vicious assault’. In the weeks and months leading up to his death his ribs had been broken in 41 places on at least four separate occasions.

READ THIS: MPs call for increased child killer sentences

Crouch, 39, was convicted of murdering Jacob whilst Barton, 33, was found guilty of child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Because the offences took place in 2020, Barton was sentenced under previous – more lenient – guidelines. The law was changed in 2022 to increase the maximum penalty for allowing the death of a child to one of life imprisonment: this doesn’t apply retrospectively and, as a result, Barton will be released on licence around July 2027.

Investigations into Jacob’s death revealed a culture of physical and psychological abuse in the household, in Linton, near Swadlincote, which Crouch openly claimed was necessary to maintain discipline. Neither of the parents had done anything to prevent the violence and had done nothing to seek medical help for Jacob, despite visible bruising and his obvious pain and discomfort.

A post-mortem examination found he had died as a result of peritonitis - an infection of the lining of the abdominal organs - caused by a traumatic bowel perforation.

READ THIS: Craig Crouch found guilty of murdering 10-month-old baby

The announcement that the sentences won’t be increased comes just days after Heather Wheeler, MP for the South Derbyshire constituency which includes Swadlincote, said she believed tougher sentencing measures needed to be introduced for child killers.

As reported, the former minister told this paper: “These are such heart-breaking stories – children with no way to defend themselves being grievously hurt and killed by those who should be protecting them. I would be happy to see, and will call for, the introduction of an automatically increased minimum term for anyone found guilty of murdering a child.”

Whilst Toby Perkins, MP for the Chesterfield constituency where Finley Boden was murdered, said: “It is an anomaly (that there is no increased minimum sentence for murdering a child). It will leave most people stunned and I will be writing to the Justice Secretary to ask him to include murder of your own child in these increase tariffs. If he (Alex Chalk, justice secretary) is committed to tougher sentences and if the route to tougher sentences is through legislation then that absolutely should include those convicted of murdering children.”