'Wicked' mother murdered daughter and sent photo to father as revenge for break up

A woman who murdered her two-year-old daughter after sending a photo to the child's father so he had "one final picture" has been jailed for life.

Cody-Anne Jackson, 20, pleaded guilty to the "wicked and appalling" murder of Macey Hogan at her home in Fenton, Stoke-on-Trent in October 2016.

She originally denied killing her young daughter, but changed her plea at Stafford Crown Court eight days after her trial started.

During the trial, the jury heard how Jackson waited at least 30 minutes after killing her daughter before making a "sham" call to emergency services.

The exact cause of death could not be determined, but medical experts said that Macey may have died after being smothered or having some pressure applied to her neck.

Jackson originally claimed she woke up and found Macey's cold, lifeless body next to her in bed in between two pillows.

A suicide note was found at her home which read: "There's nothing for me or Macey, life's s**t." When emergency services arrived at the house following the 999 call, the 20-year-old was found to have "superficial" injuries on her wrist and neck and attempting to give CPR to Macey.

Prior to killing her daughter, Jackson sent a photo to the girl's father, Paul Hogan, along with the message: "Sorry, just thought you deserved one last picture and memory of her."

The court heard how Hogan had ended the relationship with Jackson a week before Macey was murdered.

After changing her plea to guilty, Jackson had now been sentenced to life with a minimum of16 years in jail.

Upon sentencing, Judge Michael Chambers told Jackson: "You have had the courage to plead guilty, but this remains a very serious case, for a mother to kill her very young child is a wicked and appalling act.

"You thought about killing yourself and decided to kill Macey as well an expression of utter self-absorption."

Detective inspector Dan Ison, of Staffordshire Police, said: "Our first thoughts are of Macey and members of her family following this tragic case and, while I welcome the judgement and today's sentence, this will not replace the gap that Macey's death has left in Paul's life.

"This was not a killing that occurred due to a struggling single parent, nor was it a killing where in some perverse way it was felt that Macey was being protected from someone or something, this was a killing that was cold and callous and set to exact revenge on Paul Hogan as he had broken off the relationship with Cody-Anne Jackson.

"It is absolutely unforgivable that a beautiful and healthy child has had her life taken away and I am sorry for the loss that this has left for Paul and his family. Our thoughts are all with them at this time."