Dad convicted of cruelty after baby girl died in front of gas fire

A dad has been found guilty of cruelty after the death of his 18 week-old baby daughter who was left in front of a gas fire on its highest setting.

Kayleigh Sheard was found by paramedics and was declared dead minutes later.

She suffered burns to her face and also had bite marks and extensive fractures to her right shoulder and arm from the weeks before her death.

Her cause of death could not be determined and her parents were charged with cruelty to a person under 16.

Her mother, Lucy Damen, 22, pleaded guilty to the offence several weeks ago but her father Daniel Sheard, 24, elected trial.

He has now been found guilty after a three-week hearing at Leeds Crown Court and will be sentenced with his wife in a few weeks.

The court heard that Sheard claimed he put little Kayleigh in front of the fire "to wake her up".

He phoned for an ambulance around 4.10am on September 30, 2013 saying she was in a collapsed state and felt hard.

He said she was fine when he put her bed, adding "I don't know what happened".

Mr Campbell said the lack of inflamed tissue "indicated the burns could not have been caused while she was alive".

The crown said the couple had "neglected Kayleigh by failing to provide adequate medical care".

Before granting Sheard bail, Judge Tom Bayliss QC told the court: "This is a very serious matter."

The defendant did not react as the verdict was read out.

The couple, of Heckmondwike, West Yorkshire, are on bail until their sentence date.