Mother jailed for murdering toddler Liam Fee has appeal rejected

Rachel Fee, also known as Rachael Trelfa, who was jailed for life for murdering her toddler son. Credit: PA

A mother from Gateshead who was jailed for life for murdering her two-year-old son has had her appeal against conviction rejected.

Rachel Fee, 32, argued the judge in her 2016 trial misdirected the jury about the lesser charge of culpable homicide before sending them out to consider their verdict.

Liam Fee died at his home near Glenrothes, Fife, on 22nd March 2014 following years of abuse and neglect.

Fee, also known as Trelfa, and her civil partner Nyomi Fee, 30, were bothconvicted of grossly abusing their position of trust to inflict appalling suffering on the child after subjecting him to a "cruel and pitiless regime" of abuse and neglect.

He had suffered fatal heart injuries similar to those found on road crashvictims and spent the last few days of his short life in agony from an untreated broken leg and fractured arm.

Rachael Fee (left), 31, who is also known as Rachael Trelfa, and her partner Nyomi Fee, 28 Credit: PA

Both women were given life sentences. Rachel Fee was ordered to serve a minimum of 23-and-a-half years behind bars while "domineering" Nyomi Fee was told to spend at least 24 years in prison.

Fee's appeal centred on what her defence team said was a misdirection by the trial judge during his legal summing-up at the High Court in Livingston, West Lothian, in May.

The appeal verdict, delivered by Lord Turnbull, concluded: