Dad who murdered daughter by violently shaking her as baby is jailed for life

2 April 2025, 14:08

A father who “shook his eight-week old baby” to death in a "moment of anger and frustration" has been jailed for life.

Kyle Kitchen, 38, murdered eight-week-old Primose Kane in a 2014 assault that only lasted a matter of seconds but left her with catastrophic injuries, the Old Bailey heard on Wednesday.

She suffered a skull fracture from being hit or thrown against a hard surface and brain damage from being shaken, which led to profound disability, constant pain, and, ultimately, Primrose's death in May 2021.

Kitchen was initially jailed for 18 years for two charges of causing Primrose grievous bodily harm with intent during a 2016 trial.

Read more: Old Etonian who tried to murder his estranged partner by throwing her down a 240ft well is jailed for 24 years

That sentence was reduced to 15 years on appeal.

Primrose's mother, Kenzey Kane, 31, was jailed for three-and-a-half years for causing or allowing serious injury to a child by failing to protect her daughter and child cruelty due to her delay in getting medical help.

Kitchen, who had served six years and nine months behind bars for his assaults, was found guilty of the baby’s murder in March following a trial at the Old Bailey.

Today, he was jailed for life with a minimum term of 17 years. This was then reduced by Mr Justice Murray to seven years, eight months and 12 days to reflect time he has already served in jail, including on remand.

The senior judge noted the background of domestic violence and Kitchen's lack of remorse or acceptance of responsibility for Primrose's death.

The judge said: "Disastrously, those seconds led to Primrose's catastrophic injuries, led to years of disability and chronic pain and ultimately led to her death at the age of six years and eight months."

In mitigation, Jane Bickerstaff KC said Kitchen "loved that little girl" and her death was a "cross he will have to bear for the rest of his life".

She described his relationship with Primrose's mother as "toxic" but added: "There are many, many couples who for one reason or another are not as fit as society would like to parent a child - and yet they have children."

Previously, prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC said Primrose had lived with her parents in a bedsit in Camden, north London.

On September 29 2014, Kitchen was arrested and cautioned for assaulting his partner, having slapped her while she was holding their daughter, then aged three-weeks-old.

The court was told Kitchen had admitted it was not the first time he had been violent towards his partner.

Shortly before 6am on November 3 2014, she had called 111 to report that Primrose had gone "floppy" and would not wake up.

The baby was taken to the Royal Free Hospital in north London where a scan revealed a skull fracture and serious brain injury.

Her parents provided no explanation for how it happened with Kane saying: "It's not like we knocked her or anything."

Primrose was transferred to an intensive care unit at Great Ormond Street Hospital where further tests confirmed her serious injuries and it became clear she would suffer "significant neuro-disability" in the long term.

She remained in hospital for six weeks and upon her release was placed into the care of her maternal grandmother, Maria Kane.

Over time, Primrose developed multiple problems related to her brain injury, including cerebral palsy, feeding issues, an inability to communicate verbally and drug resistant epilepsy.

Despite her profound disability, Primrose went to a special school in Plumstead, south-east London, from the age of nearly three until her death and was described by her headteacher as "characterful".

Following her death on May 16 2021, a post-mortem examination concluded it was the consequence of the traumatic head injury from when she was a baby.

The court was told Kitchen had previous convictions for burglary, theft and possession of cannabis.