Isabella Wheildon: Woman who let daughter die and wheeled her body in pushchair won't have sentence increased

Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, 24, was sentenced to 10 years in prison in December 2023 after pleading guilty to child cruelty and causing or allowing the death of her daughter, Isabella Wheildon, who was killed by her partner, Scott Jeff.

Following Isabella’s tragic death, the couple continued to push her body around in a pram before eventually leaving her in a bathroom at a homeless hostel in Ipswich in June 2023, Ipswich Crown Court previously heard.

The Solicitor General, Lucy Rigby, referred the case to the Court of Appeal after shadow safeguarding minister Alicia Kearns raised concerns over the leniency of the sentence.

However, after a hearing on Wednesday, Lord Justice Edis, Mrs Justice Stacey, and Judge Andrew Lockhart KC ruled that the sentence would not be increased, concluding that it was not unduly lenient.

Lord Justice Edis stated: "We consider that some judges may properly have balanced the aggravating and mitigating features differently, or applied them to a somewhat higher starting point. That is not at all the same as to say the judge’s approach was unduly lenient."

Addressing grieving family members in the public gallery, where some people cried during the ruling, he added: "I am very sorry to everyone who has suffered this appalling loss."

Referring to events after Isabella’s death, Lord Justice Edis condemned the pair’s actions: "Instead of seeking help for her – even at this stage, the offender, together with Scott Jeff, treated her body in a reprehensible manner, pushing it around in Isabella’s pram concealed under various items."

When sentencing former nursery worker Gleason-Mitchell last year, Mr Justice Garnham described her as a "weak and spineless person" who "stood back and let that abuse and violence happen to your little girl."

He added: "You were so concerned about your own comfort and pleasures, and about maintaining a relationship with this man, that you would tolerate anything, including these dreadful assaults on your daughter."

The court heard that Jeff subjected Isabella to a cruel campaign of violence, which ultimately led to her death. Following a trial, Jeff was handed a life sentence and must serve at least 26 years in prison before he can be considered for release.

The jury was told that after Gleason-Mitchell rekindled her relationship with Jeff in May 2023, he took over potty training Isabella. When she wet herself, he “couldn’t tolerate such accidents” and began punishing her.

Lord Justice Edis detailed the horrific abuse Isabella endured, stating that her injuries were concealed with a puffer jacket and sunglasses.

He described her fractured arms and broken pelvis, revealing that her pelvic injury was inflicted when Jeff either stamped on her or kicked her between her legs, leading to her death just hours later.

A post-mortem examination determined Isabella’s cause of death as a “bone marrow embolism caused by skeletal trauma”.