Former Soldier Jailed For Causing Daughter's Death

17 January 2014, 15:35 | Updated: 17 January 2014, 15:38

A former soldier has been jailed for six years at Northampton Crown Court for causing the death of his 19-month-old daughter.

Liam Culverhouse appeared for sentencing today, two months after an earlier hearing at Nottingham Crown Court where he admitted causing injuries to his daughter, Khloe Abrams, who died in the Rainbow Children's Hospice in Loughborough on November 7, 2012, 18 months after the initial assault.

Culverhouse, a 25-year-old former Lance Corporal, from Eastern Avenue North, Kingsthorpe, carried out the attack 18 months after he lost his right eye during a mass shooting at an Afghan National Police checkpoint in Helmand Province, in November 2009, on which five of his colleagues died.

Detective Chief Inspector Steve Woliter said: "The death of any child is a tragedy, but this one more so because of the fact that the person responsible for looking after her failed her in the most profound way. During her short life, Khloe suffered a catalogue of injuries and spent several months of her life being cared for by the Rainbow Children's Hospice as a result of the injuries. It is clear from the investigation and from the early guilty plea, that Liam Culverhouse was himself a very troubled man, and clearly unfit to look after a small baby. I hope that the prison sentence affords him the chance to reflect on his actions and be truly remorseful for failing to adequately care for his child. This has been a difficult investigation, and I would like to thank Khloe's extended family for their support, the professional carers who did everything they could to make her short life more comfortable and the officers who worked on this case.

A Serious Case Review has been carried out by the Local Safeguarding Children Board Northamptonshire and, now sentencing is complete, that will be published in due course.