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Andrew Randall (born 1974) is a British murderer. He murdered his seven-week-old daughter Jessica Randall on the morning of 21 November 2005.

Randall, of Kettering, Northamptonshire, admitted murder, grievous bodily harm and six counts of sexual abuse of his daughter at his trial on 15 November 2006 at Northampton Crown Court. He was sentenced to life imprisonment on 13 March 2007 and the trial judge recommended that he should never be released.

Despite the judge's recommendation, it had been reported a month earlier that the European Court of Justice was in the process of reviewing whole life sentencing to determine whether such sentences amounted to a violation of Human Rights. If the European Court outlaws lifelong imprisonment, then Randall all other prisoners serving such sentences will have their cases recalled to court for a new minimum term to be set.

On 13 February 2008, Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust released a report confirming that 30 members of staff at Kettering General Hospital failed to begin child protection procedures, but stopped short of blaming any specific individuals for her death.

However, the report concluded that "In recognising that opportunities had been missed to identify signs of abuse we must conclude that the outcome for Jessica Randall may have been different had these signs been acted on". There is much controversy surrounding the failure of authorities to act, given that such omissions amount to negligence and negligent manslaughter.

The failure to prosecute health care professionals raises serious questions about the functioning of democracy and the legitimacy of the NHS as a tax-payer funded provision of service with a mandate to provide a health safety net regardless of social prejudices.

Life for father who murdered baby

BBC News

Tuesday, 13 March 2007

A father who sexually abused, tortured and murdered his seven-week-old baby daughter has been jailed for life.

Andrew Randall, 33, of Havelock Street, in Kettering, committed "a catalogue of horrendous violence" on baby Jessica, Northampton Crown Court heard.

Jessica, born five weeks early, was abused almost from when she left hospital until her death in 2005.

Randall had earlier admitted murder, causing grievous bodily harm and four counts of sexually abusing Jessica.

Sentencing Randall to a "whole life term" on Tuesday, Judge Charles Wide QC told him he was a sadistic killer.

He said Randall had fantasised about serial killers and had had a fascination with horror films since he was a young boy.

"I am quite satisfied there was a sexual element, coupled and inextricably bound up with the violence," said Judge Wide.

"Even if it were not, one can only look at the aggravating features of this case - a tiny child, abuse lasting the whole of her few weeks of life... and the most gross breach of trust that one can imagine, a father murdering a tiny, vulnerable, utterly dependent baby.

'Killing fantasy'

"The seriousness of this case is so exceptionally high that a sentence of life imprisonment is appropriate with a whole life order."

Randall had even written poems about wanting to kill.

After her death, Jessica was found to have at least nine injuries to her ribs as well as bleeding on the brain, a fractured skull and cuts to her face.

She was killed in the early hours of 21 November when Randall, allegedly trying to keep her quiet, threw her headfirst into the wooden arms of a settee at the flat he shared with his child and her mother Sharon Park, who suffers from schizophrenia.

In police interviews he told officers of his resentment towards the child from the start of her life, how he had thought of killing her every day.

Andrew Randall, 38, admitted murder and causing grievous bodily harm to his daughter

Viewmydeath.com

13 February, 2008

Jessica Randall was killed in 2005, by her father Andrew, who also sexually abused the 54-day-old at her home. He was jailed for life in March 2007.

A report into Jessica's death, in Kettering, Northamptonshire, has also concluded a number of care agencies failed to identify her has a risk.

Health agencies and council chiefs have promised to act on the report.

Northamptonshire Teaching Primary Care Trust confirmed Jessica died after 30 members of staff at Kettering General Hospital and the trust had failed to begin child protection procedures.

However, the Safeguarding Children Board for Northamptonshire report, released on Wednesday, stopped short of blaming any individuals for her death.

"In recognising that opportunities had been missed to identify signs of abuse we must conclude that the outcome for Jessica Randall may have been different had these signs been acted on," the report concluded.

It also stated that, as early as 12 October 2005, "there were grounds for a referral to Children and Young People's Service (CYPC) due to her mother's previous history of mental health problems".

By 15 November, six days before Jessica died, "there were significantly more concerns and "some formal discussion" should have been made with the CYPC, which is part of Northamptonshire County Council.

But it accepted Jessica's father did not have a criminal record and there was nothing in his medical records to suggest he was a danger to her.

'No whitewash'

The hospital has confirmed its 2000 staff have since received training in spotting cases of child abuse.

But Dr Brendan O'Malley, medical director at the hospital, said: "The report was not a whitewash.

"We looked very carefully at it and we really considered that it was the processes that were remiss. The individuals now know very clearly from training what they need to do in the future."

Asked to clarify what the doctor who had seen Jessica just days before she had died had failed to do, he added: "When Jessica was first presented to us she was twitching and the doctor felt she was probably fitting.

"He felt there were several possibilities for the diagnosis behind this and he set a range of investigations in motion.

"He organised a chest X-ray and an MRI scan but they all came back negative."

'Acknowledge mistakes'

Other examinations were carried out, but none appeared to indicate evidence of child abuse.

"The system was there but the problem was that it had not been triggered and the lesson that we have learnt is that we need to raise people's awareness of what has to trigger off referral to making a child at risk," he said.

Paul Burnett, director for children and young people at Northamptonshire County Council, said: "We, along with our partners, acknowledge all of the mistakes which were made and we have already taken action to address the key findings of this report to ensure that our services for children are improved as proposed."

Randall, then 33, of Havelock Street, in Kettering, was jailed for life after admitting murder, causing grievous bodily harm and four counts of sexually abusing Jessica.