Murdered baby's mother disowned by her family

Emma Back, 22, now of Park Road, was sentenced to three and a half years on Monday for allowing her one-year-old baby to suffer appalling abuse at the hands of Aaron Goodman before the tot was killed.

Jobless Goodman, 27, rained blows on defenceless Sam Back at their St Leonards flat, rupturing his bowel before covering his body with a Winnie the Pooh poster.

Sam's dead body was only discovered nearly three weeks later when his worried grandparents alerted police as Back and Goodman embarked on a massive drugs binge.

Crack-cocaine addict Goodman was jailed for life for the murder last month while Back, formerly of St Jude's women's refuge, was convicted of child cruelty and conspiracy to prevent burial.

But Back's mother, Brenda Kingshott, said she is "disgusted" at the leniency of the sentence and vows never to speak to her daughter again.

Emotional Mrs Kingshott, 50, who suffered physical and mental abuse from teenage Emma, said: "I was hoping for maximum 10 years but all she got was a slap on the wrist.

"She was so smug, as though she got away with it. The judge said she would get a long sentence and the whole family were convinced. There is no justice.

"She called me a bad mother and tried to blame me for what happened. I always taught Emma right from wrong but she mixed with the wrong crowd and I could do nothing when that happened."

Mrs Kingshott's husband, Raymond, 66, attended Lewes Crown Court from their Newhaven home despite suffering a heart attack resulting from the case. He is now awaiting triple heart by-pass surgery.

She added: "I'm concentrating on looking after my husband. But the whole case has affected us all.

"We just want to say goodbye to little Sam and let him rest in peace. I never want to see Emma again. None of the family do. If she comes near us, she will be lynched."

Jailing Back, Mrs Justice Rafferty said: "Though responsibility for his death is not laid at your door, you made your own grim contribution to his misery.

"He was not a toy you were entitled to pick up and put down on a whim. He was low on your list of selfish and callous priorities. "For 18 days you left his body in his blood-stained cot, rotting while you lied and deceived your way through the concerns of decent people who would have helped you."

Goodman, who admitted conspiracy to prevent lawful burial and received a six month sentence, was convicted of murder after a 12 day trial.

Back was sentenced to three years for child cruelty and given a six month consecutive sentence for conspiracy to prevent burial, having denied both charges.