Harlow Collinge: Childminder Karen Foster jailed for 12 years and seven months for killing baby boy with ‘forceful shaking’ | UK News
A childminder has been jailed for 12 years and seven months for killing a nine-month-old boy by shaking him to death in frustration. Karen Foster, who was due to go on trial for the murder of nine-month-old Harlow Collinge, pleaded guilty to the charge of manslaughter last Friday after discussions with the child’s family. The basis of the 62-year-old’s plea was that “forceful shaking” of Harlow caused his death after he had toppled over out of his high chair, started crying and she shook him in frustration, Preston Crown Court heard. Mr Justice Barry Cotter said in court that Harlow was a “happy, healthy, much-loved” boy, but said Foster chose to continue childminding despite ill health and pain in her hip. He noted she worked more than she should have under Ofsted rules and said this contributed to her “loss of temper”, before adding: “You should have been a safe pair of hands to which Gemma Collinge could ensure her precious child. “I have no doubt you snapped on the 1 March 2022, in part …