Jury hears of Ainlee's injuries

A sickening list of the injuries suffered by a two-year-old girl before she died of the "grossest of gross neglect", including cigarette burns, bruises and pinch marks, was detailed at the Old Bailey today.

There were 64 marks on the emaciated body of Ainlee Labonte and today the jury at the trial of her parents on manslaughter and cruelty charges were taken through them one by one.

Ambulancemen who tried to resuscitate her at her filthy council flat in Plaistow last January said her arms were so thin they were only "the thickness of little sausages".

Leanne Labonte, 20, and Dennis Henry, 39, sat with their heads bowed as pathologist Dr David Rouse itemised what he had found.

He said that the wounds were of varying ages. There were abrasions and bruises caused in the few days before her death, but others probably went back weeks and included third-degree cigarette burns which had gone right through the child's skin.

The trial has heard that Ainlee was like a famine victim and would probably have been withdrawn and unresponsive before she died. Last Friday Labonte broke down sobbing within moments of Dr Rouse beginning his evidence. However, today she sat impassively.

Even itemising the injuries briefly took over two hours. They included: bruise on head (probably banged against wall); band of marks across forehead - probably caused by several impacts; cluster of bruises on right cheek; abrasion below nose caused by hard pinch.

Fresh abrasion on lip; bruise, side of left eye; another bruise just below; bruised left eyelid, possibly caused by clenched fist or back-handed slap.

Band of marks round neck caused by gripping; two more bands of grip marks on neck; scabbed abrasion caused by fingernails, left shoulder; curved abrasion, right shoulder. Line of abrasions in groin caused by hard nipping. "This would have been extremely painful," said Dr Rouse.

Band of grip abrasions top of back; scabbed mark, upper back; similar scabbed mark on back; another scabbed mark on back.

Curved band of abrasions below shoulder blade; mark around shoulder blade; another scabbed mark, right shoulder blade; abrasion on back; further scabbed abrasion on back; similar abrasion on bottom of back.

Healed burn on left buttock caused by cigarette or scald; circular ulcer on left buttock caused by cigarette burn; linear scar inside buttocks; inflammation around buttocks from burns; another small circular ulcer, full thickness cigarette burn.

The jury were handed bundles of photographs showing Ainlee's injuries which they examined intently. When Ainlee died she weighed only 21lb.

The Crown alleges either Labonte or Henry, or both of them, were responsible for her death by physically abusing her and by allowing her to starve. The case continues.