The Court of Appeal has today (17 June) dismissed the appeal against conviction of Keran Henderson who was convicted of the manslaughter of 11 month-old Maeve Sheppard on13 November 2007.

CPS Thames and Chiltern Complex Casework Unit Head, Adrian Roberts, said: ‘The charges against Keran Henderson were not brought lightly and we considered a vast array of specialist medical expert evidence to determine the cause of 11 month-old Maeve Sheppard’s injuries and subsequent death.

‘The CPS and Thames Valley Police have worked closely throughout this case to ensure that the investigation and prosecution were conducted with sensitivity and objectivity.  All potential new evidence has been thoroughly examined and now tested either in the original trial or in this appeal.

‘We hope that this will now draw a line under this case so that the Sheppard family can finally start to rebuild their lives after the tragic loss of their daughter Maeve.’

Thames Valley Police Detective Inspector Pete Dowling said:

‘As well as being a highly complex case, this has been a difficult case on a human level given the good character and record of a registered childminder on the one hand, and the devastating loss suffered by the Sheppards at the hands of a person to whom they trusted their precious daughter on the other.

‘Our thoughts are with the Sheppard family who we hope can finally try to rebuild their lives, although they clearly will never be able to forget what happened to their daughter Maeve.’