Thomas Holford, who is accused of murdering his daughter Everleigh Stroud, lied to police about his drug use despite officers finding a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle
A dad accused of killing his baby daughter text a drug dealer to ask for cannabis just hours before the five-week-old was found with “catastrophic” injuries, a court heard.
Thomas Holford, 24, is accused of murdering his daughter Everleigh Stroud, who died aged one after “excessive and severe” shaking led to brain and bone injuries. Along with brain injuries which left her in a vegetative state, she also had bone fractures, bruising to her face, atrophy to her eyes leading to her going blind and other injuries having spent the night in Holford’s care, the court heard.
Everleigh, who was born on March 13, 2021, had been found by her grandmother “only just breathing” on the morning of April 21, 2021. She spent more than a year in a vegetative state before she died at 14 months on May 27, 2022.
On Thursday, giving evidence to jurors at Canterbury Crown Court, Holford, who was aged 20 at the time of the incident, said he had at least five joints on April 20, 2021 before being left in charge of Everleigh that evening. He told the court that he was smoking more than usual because it was “420” which he agreed was a “big day for cannabis smokers”.
Police discovered a cannabis grinder and joint butts next to a milk bottle in Holford’s bedroom when they arrived at the address in Wallwood Road, Ramsgate. He told police that he had not smoked cannabis since 10am the previous morning, which he has now accepted was a lie.
Prosecuting, Eloise Marshall KC asked: “When the police asked you what you’d smoked, you lied?” Holford, who was living at the home with his then 16-year-old girlfriend and her parents, replied: “Yes.” Asked why, he added: “I’m trying to project an image of something that is better than reality.”
Jurors were told by the prosecution that the defendant, wearing a black suit, black shirt and striped tie during Thursday’s hearing, was only lying because he did not want the police to know he had been smoking when he was alone with Everleigh. “If you hadn’t done something the night before you were worried about, you wouldn’t have bothered lying,” said Ms Marshall.
Text messages shown to jurors also suggest that he tried to buy weed from a contact known as “Milo” because he knew he was looking after his daughter. He sent a text which read: “Could you strap me anything, as I’ve got the little one on my own tonight. Going to be f****** stressful.”
Holford told the court that he had lied to police about his cannabis use to “protect” his girlfriend’s family, who were aware of his smoking but believed it was for medicinal purposes. The now 24-year-old admitted he had “manipulated” his girlfriend’s family into taking care of his cannabis for him and allowing him to smoke it.
Holford, who appeared to be in a “good mood” as he played games on his phone while his baby was rushed to hospital on April 21, 2021, insists he cannot remember what happened to cause Everleigh’s injuries, but accepts that it must have been he that caused them and has already pleaded guilty to manslaughter. “When it suits you, you have a memory – and when it doesn’t suit you, you pretend you don’t have a memory,” Ms Marshall told him.
Later, she asked about his initial statements to police about the night of the incident: “Would you be the sort of person who could make up this kind of detailed lie?” “I don’t know, I’m quite imaginative,” Holford replied.
Holford denies murder and also denies actual bodily harm. The trial continues.
