Aidan Vine KC in A Local Authority v H & Ors [2025] EWFC 316
3rd Nov 2025 | Cases
Aidan Vine KC was instructed by Dutton Gregory Solicitors for the 5th Respondent, K in A Local Authority v H & Ors [2025] EWFC 316; a fact-finding in public law proceedings, concerning fatal injuries to child. Aidan led Laura Baines and Rachel Chapman of No 18 Chambers.
The child was alleged to have died from an inflicted fatal head injury, with a complex presentation suggested intracranial and retinal bleeding occurred on up to three separate occasions, some possibly occurring at the same time as microfractures of the ribs and spinal bleeding.
Three separate sets of carers were alleged to be possibly responsible – the parents, a childminder and her husband and K who baby sat for the child. Only the parents had the opportunity to cause all the injuries. All three sets of carers had other children, and the proceedings in respect of each family were consolidated.
There were additional allegations of collusion, failure to protect, and domestic violence between the parents.
The expert witness disagreed about the number and date range of the injury episodes, what injuries had been sustained and what the mechanism was for the ultimately fatal head injury.
The court found that two episodes of injury, including the fatal injury, were inflicted in the home of the childminder and her husband, but was not able to identify which of them was the probable perpetrator. The cause of the third, earliest, episode of intracranial bleeding was not established.
K was exonerated from responsibility for any of the injuries.
