DANIEL BAKER'S HORRIFIC CRIME IN CANTERBURY: BABY'S LEG BROKEN AND MOUTH INJURED IN SHOCKING INCIDENT

In a deeply disturbing case that has shocked the community of Canterbury, a father named Daniel Baker was convicted of inflicting severe injuries on his two-month-old daughter. The incident, which took place in March 2018, involved a series of brutal acts that left the infant with broken bones and significant oral injuries.

According to court reports, Baker, aged 24 at the time, was alone with his young daughter at their home in Canterbury when the child began crying. In a moment described by witnesses and investigators as a 'flash of rage,' Baker forcefully pulled the baby across a sofa by her leg, causing fractures to her shin in two places. The force used was so intense that it resulted in serious injuries, including what doctors later identified as 'severe torsional twisting' of her leg bones.

Following this, Baker attempted to silence the crying by inserting a dummy into her mouth. However, his actions were excessively violent, breaking a thin tissue strip called the frenulum that connects the tongue to the mouth. The dummy was pushed in with such force that it caused bleeding and tissue damage, leaving the child's mouth a bloody mess. Witnesses and medical professionals confirmed that the injury was inflicted through violent and forceful handling.

Later, Baker’s then-partner, Poppy Hirst, discovered blood around the child's mouth. Concerned, she took the baby to a general practitioner (GP), who advised her to proceed to the Queen Elizabeth Queen Mother (QEQM) Hospital in Margate for further examination. Medical assessments, including a full-body scan, revealed additional fractures to her left tibia and fibula, which are consistent with injuries caused by twisting and torsion. The injuries were deemed to be non-accidental, prompting social services to intervene and place the baby and her 13-month-old brother into temporary care for their protection.

Initially, Baker denied any involvement in causing the injuries during a police interview. However, he later confessed to Hirst, who then reported his admissions to the authorities. His admission led to formal charges of wounding and actual bodily harm being brought against him later that same month. In September of the previous year, Baker appeared before Folkestone magistrates, where he pleaded guilty to both charges.

During the court proceedings, Baker’s legal representative, Phil Rowley, presented a psychological report indicating that his client had a limited intellectual capacity, with an extremely low IQ score. The report also noted that Baker had autism, which impaired his decision-making skills and his ability to comprehend the consequences of his actions at the time. Despite these factors, Judge Mark Weekes rejected the defense’s mitigation, emphasizing the seriousness of the crimes, including repeated assaults, serious injuries, breach of trust, and an attempt to conceal the wrongdoing.

Detective Constable Jeff Brunger commented on the case, stating, “This was an extremely troubling incident and I would like to thank the victim’s family for their patience and assistance during our investigation. Kent Police is committed to protecting the most vulnerable in our communities and this complex investigation shows we will carefully examine every piece of evidence to bring those who harm others before the courts.”

It was revealed that Baker’s confession was obtained after his partner, Hirst, lied to him, promising to keep his secret. Desperate to regain custody of her children after four months of supervised visits, Hirst managed to persuade Baker to admit what he had done. However, after he fell asleep that night, she contacted the authorities, which ultimately led to his arrest and subsequent conviction.

In an interview with KentOnline following his sentencing, Hirst, aged 23, expressed her shock and heartbreak. She said, “I would have never dreamed he could have done that to our baby - I believed what he said. When social services took the kids away I just fell to the floor in the hospital. I couldn’t believe what was happening.” She added, “For me it brings a sense of closure to everything, knowing that people will know what he did and that he’s paying the price for it. When my daughter’s older I can tell her what happened and that her dad went to prison for it. She still struggles to speak because of the injury to her mouth, and is on a waiting list for speech therapy.”