Melissa Wilband, 28, has been sentenced to 15 years in prison after being found guilty of the manslaughter of her four-month-old daughter, Lexi Wilband. The tragic death occurred in April 2020 at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire, during the first national COVID-19 lockdown.
At Bristol Crown Court, evidence showed that Lexi suffered severe brain bleeding caused by violent shaking, with injuries indicating at least two separate incidents. Lexi collapsed at home and was taken to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Children’s Hospital, where she passed away six days later on April 18, 2020.
Wilband’s former partner, Jack Wheeler, 31, was cleared of all charges related to Lexi’s death after the prosecution withdrew manslaughter charges against him due to insufficient evidence.
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In sentencing, Mr Justice Saini emphasized the gravity of Wilband’s actions. “Lexi was a healthy, vibrant baby. You took her life through violent shaking at your family home," he stated. “The evidence confirms that Lexi was shaken by you on two occasions. The pain and trauma she endured are unimaginable.”
The court heard Wilband and Wheeler were in a tumultuous three-year relationship. Lexi was conceived by Wilband with another man in early 2019. Wilband misled Wheeler into believing he was Lexi’s biological father by presenting a fake DNA certificate. Despite this, Wheeler raised Lexi as his own child.
The prosecution highlighted Wilband’s drug use, noting she consumed cocaine only days after Lexi’s birth. On April 12, 2020, Wilband called emergency services reporting that Lexi had stopped breathing in her bouncer chair. Medical staff questioned Wilband about holding Lexi before intubation, but she declined.
While at Bristol Children’s Hospital, Wilband falsely claimed that Wheeler had been swinging Lexi in the bouncer chair, a statement he denied. Lexi’s ventilator was switched off following devastating MRI results.
Wilband spent a few hours with Lexi in the hospital but then left while Lexi’s condition worsened overnight. A nurse stayed by Lexi’s side until she passed away. The post-mortem confirmed extensive brain hemorrhaging and numerous eye hemorrhages, injuries consistent with violent shaking.
During the trial, Wilband denied shaking Lexi, claiming a wrist injury made it impossible and attempting to blame Wheeler. Wheeler maintained he had no knowledge of why Lexi collapsed and denied mishandling her.
This heartbreaking case highlights the devastating consequences of child abuse and serves as a solemn reminder of the vulnerability of infants, especially during stressful periods such as lockdowns.