A teenager convicted of killing his four-month-old stepdaughter in Clacton has been sent to a young offenders' institution for four years and nine months.

David Sandiford, 17, of Springfield Gardens, Upper Clapton, had been living with the baby's mother, Rachel Clover, 21, at the Chantry Hotel, Clacton at the time he killed four-month-old Cerise Clover on April 13.

Norwich Crown Court heard Sandiford had taken Cerise to see friends in a car he had stolen and, on the way home, the car broke down.

It was then the baby suffered fractures of the skull, severe bruising and brain damage, from which she died two hours later.

Sandiford denied murder and manslaughter, saying he loved the baby as his own and had only been trying to save her life.

Mark Shelley, defending Sandiford, said it was a "tragedy for all".

He said: "He has never accepted he did it. Whether he blocked it out of his mind, who knows? He may not have been a perfect father, but he did what he thought was best."

Sentencing, Judge David Mellor said: "There is clear evidence from social services and members of the family that you loved that baby as were proud to act as her father and you were good with her although you were only 16.

"But you then lashed out when you had placed yourself in a stressful position, which was due to your own irresponsibility."

The court also heard Sandiford admitted the theft of a neighbour's car, the yellow Vauxhall Corsa, in which Cerise died.

He also admitted a charge of doing acts to pervert the course of justice between April and June this year when threatening letters written to the baby's mother were intercepted.

The letters said someone might be going the same way as Cerise did and someone might be waiting for her when she left the court.

The judge said Rachel Clover had written to the court saying she did not want the charge to continue, but he informed her it was not her decision.

Sandiford was convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to be detained in the young offenders' institution for four years and nine months.

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