| Location | Sheffield |
| Age | 3 years |
| Date of Death | 10/2007 |
| Visitors | 7,959 since 12/06/2008 |
| Creator |
Tiffany Wright aged 3 starved to death by her mother and stepfather. This little girl deserves to
be remembered, her story must be told.
A three-year-old girl as fragile as a 'tiny porcelain doll' died in squalour after being
starved and neglected by her cruel mother and stepfather, a court was told.
Tiffany Wright was 'unloved, unwanted and left to die alone' in her bedroom above a pub
run by the parents.
The sad little girl would be seen by passers-by staring out of the first floor window. She was
stopped from going to nursery and kept away from other children of her age, yet tragically no one
intervened to save her.
The Scarbrough Arms pub where the body of 3-year-old Tiffany Wright was found
It is difficult to imagine a more horrific 'natural' death. Weakened by lack of food and
water, Tiffany died from pneumonia.
Paramedics found her lying in a filthy bed in a beetle-infested room at the Scarbrough Arms on Addy
Street, Sheffield. The youngster had been dead for up to two days. She was shockingly underweight
and her body covered in insect bites.
Her mother Sabrina Hirst, 22, and stepfather Robert Hirst, 54, were originally charged with murder.
But the Crown Prosecution Service accepted Sabrina's guilty plea to manslaughter on the grounds
of 'gross negligence' and her partner's plea to a lesser charge of neglect.
Tiffany's stepfather Robert Hirst, 54, has been found guilty of neglect
The couple have also pleaded guilty to the neglect of a 12-month-old child.
Both were remanded in custody on Wednesday by Judge Alan Goldsack, QC, who adjourned the case at
Sheffield Crown Court for reports.
The court was told Tiffany's death was a result of repeated and severe malnourishment. A post
mortem examination found development of her bones had been abnormal, indicating malnourishment and
growth happening in bursts when she had been fed.
The pathologist also discovered the organ responsible for her immune system was 'much
smaller' than it should have been.
Seven months before she died Tiffany was seen by a health visitor and 'appeared healthy and
well.'
It is not known whether the family were involved with social services, but a multi-agency
investigation has been launched into her death.
Detectives believe the little girl had been loved as a baby and toddler, but when Robert Hirst came
into her life things were to dramatically change.
Not only was she starved of love and attention, but they failed to give her the most basic level of
care by denying her food and water.
Experienced police officers have been left shocked by the tragic case.
Outside court Detective Inspector Steve Williams, said: 'We think this neglect had been going
on for months and that those last few months, weeks and days of her life she was unloved, unwanted,
starved of attention and left alone to die and she would have known that.
'Children are a gift who should be cherished. Parents everywhere, those who have lost them and
people unable to have them will find this treatment unbearable and unthinkable.
'She was like a tiny porcelain doll, so tiny and frail and we all wondered how this had been
allowed to happen in this day and age.'
He added: 'This must never happen again and if people have any concerns at all or suspicions
about the welfare of a child they must call somebody because out of every thousand calls followed up
if only one turns out to be founded and a child's life is saved it is worth it.'
The Hirsts were licensees of the Scarbrough Arms in Sheffield. The court heard for over 13 months
before Tiffany's death, they were 'in a habit of leaving children locked up in residential
quarters upstairs.'
When the girl died last September police found the house in a squalid condition, with live
electrical wires hanging from the walls and one room where the family dogs were kept was full of
excrement and urine.
The court heard the decision to accept the mother's manslaughter plea had been made because it
could not be proved she knew her actions would have killed Tiffany. While Robert Hirst escaped with
a neglect charge because he started a new job, assisting a lorry driver, a week before her death and
was away 12 or 13 hours a day.
The judge said he had breached his duty of care to check on Tiffany, while Sabrina had never been
able to answer a single question as to how this child could die in her care.
Alan Jones, Chairman of the Sheffield Safeguarding Children Board, said he was 'immensely
saddened' by the tragedy and a serious case review was being carried out.
He said the inquiry would 'look at the involvement that agencies had with this family and to
make sure any necessary changes are made so that children in Sheffield are no longer put at risk in
this way.'
TODAY 27TH JUNE 2008
SABRINA HIRST RECEIVED 12 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR MANSLAUGHTER
ROBERT HIRST RECEIVED 5 YEARS IMPRISONMENT FOR CHILD CRUELTY.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
IF YOU WISH TO DISCUSS ANY ELEMENTS OF THIS MEMORIAL PLEASE EMAIL ME AT
sharonlbradford@hotmail.co.uk
WHY?
How does this happen time and time again?! This poor tragic little girl was left to starve in incomprehensible squalor,by the very people who were supposed to love and cherish her...animals behave better than those two low lifes!! I have 3 yr old twin grandchildren,(a boy & a girl),they are a precious gift and I would lay down my life for them,as would their parents,and the rest of our extended family! I just cannot comprehend how something this horrific can be allowed to happen in this day & age! At least now Tiffany you can have all the love you so richly deserve,I'm so sorry you were let down!!
Sleep peacefully baby girl and have the sweetest of dreams
~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~x~
UPSET
How many more little babies have to suffer because the people they put trust in let them down AGAIN AND AGAIN, how can this happen in this day and age didn't anyone think that they hadn't seen her for ages, what were they thinking when they saw little Tiffany at the window, i'm just so angry, and they are got what sentence? sorry?'she didn't know her actions' and 'he started a new job' what a load of old tosh and the Judge needs to retire ! and i agree an eye for an eye
this does not surprise me but do not blame the extended family because i know what its like i have spent the last 4 years trying to get social services to take action to help my granddaughter and they will not listen all they say is we have to work with the mother and then do nothing until i call them again, so unfortunatly this will happen again and again but i will try my best to make sure it is not my granddaughter next, rest in peace tiffany and i hope the thing that says shes your mother rots in hell fire for ever
Are you kidding, manslaughter and neglect, this is exactly why these things continue to happen. What do you mean they can't prove Sabrinas actions caused the death of this child, malnourishen, organs much smaller than should be, house in squalid conditions, live electrical wires hanging, excrement and urine, beetle infested bed, shockingly under weight, body covered in insect bites. PLEASE someone tell me how is it a judge can't find these two guilty beyond any dought. The way I see it this will not be the last child Sabrina will kill and the old man well he'll reach the gates of hell soon.
I get sick just to think of the pain this poor child lived in. There is NO NONE NOTHING that can convince me these two monsters aren't responsible. But if judges continue to find a way to have their rights served more and more inocent children will suffer and die. I would start by doing to them as they did to others and if one just one child is saved it will be worth it.
Sweet Tiffany no longer is in pain, sleep peacefully angel.
soso sorry
no one can ever hurt you baby again .sleep with the angels little girl.sorry no one helped you .i hope they get life but the law is always on the side of the monsters.lawers making excuses for them as usual .how can they say they did not know what would happen .the judge should hang his head in shame i bet the monsters where having a great time in the pub drinking and eating to there hearts content .if only people would report things that does not seem right even if its a mistake its better to know they may just save a babys life the law should protect the ones thats hurt not the monsters .the law is a ass
safe in the arms of the angels tiffany .another little one let down .god bless xxxxxxxxxxx
Sweet innocent child........
Why????
How could this happen, where were all your extended family......
This story saddens me, to the point of anger.
How could any parent or ANYONE mistreat an innocent child like this....why didn't they give you to a family who cannot have children rather than put you through such pain & misery. At least then you would have been smothered with the love an affection all children should receive.
If only i knew you. I wish i could have saved you from the evil people who were supposed to be loving parents/family.
May God and his angels give you all the love you could ever want, and you family rot in hell......prison is too good for them.....why cant our country be more like America where for cases like this, these evil people would be sentenced to death as they dont have the right for life.
Send you all my love hugs & kisses, sweet baby girl xxx
For you Tiffany ~ With lots of LOVE ~X~X~
_______/ .- , '_________`. -. ..______
_______.. ` /`__________' .. ' /______
________`-/___' a___a`___..-'______ __
_________|____, '(_)`.____|____ _____
_________..___( ._|_. )___/_________
__________..___`.__, '___/__________
__________.-`.______ _, '-.__________
________, '__, '___`-'___`.__ `._______
_______/___/_____X__ ___..___..____
_____, '____/_____o______. .___`.___
___, '_____|______x_____ __|_____`._
__|_____, '|_______o_______|` . _____|
___`.__, '_.-.._____x______/ -._`.__, '__
_________/_`.____o__ __, '__.._______
__.''-._, '______`._:_, '_______`., -''.__
_/_, -._`_______)___(________ '_, -.__..
(_(___`._____, '_____`.______, '___)_)
_.._..____..__, '________`.____/___ /_/__
__`.`._, '_/_____________.._ _`._, ', '____
___`.__.-'_____ _________`-.___, '____
YOU LITTLE ANGEL
I HOPE YOU RIP I HAVE A 3 YEAR OLD DAUGHTER I WOULD NEVER EVA LEAVE HER LIKE THIS SOME BODY MUST OV ASK ABUT HER ITS SO HEARTBREAKING READING THIS I HOP SUM JUSTICE GETS DONE
Disgusting
This story is awful and very heartbreaking! They should be locked away to starved like this poor little girl has. There are people that desperately want children or there children dying from illnesss etc and asre heartbroken by there tradgedy but then we have people like these that have children that dont take care of them. I am a mother myself who has just had a friends child die at 7 of lukemia. What is the world coming to? an eye for an eye, bring back the death sentence. Sorry if this sounds strong. xx
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