[bloodrayne]

Baby Entombed Alive In Concrete

UK - A baby found entombed in a block of concrete was unlawfully killed, a coroner recorded on Monday.

The unidentified baby girl, thought to be aged between four and six months old, was beaten and may have been sexually abused, an inquest heard.

A hearing at Workington Magistrates' Court in Cumbria also heard how the baby was still alive when entombed.

Her tiny body lay undiscovered for at least 15 years until the block was cracked open in a garage in 2002.

A Worcestershire couple who were arrested last year in connection with the baby's death were later released without charge.

The victim has never been identified. A post-mortem examination showed she had suffered a fractured skull, bruising to the abdomen and may have also been sexually abused.

She had been struck in the face with such force she developed an abscess in her jaw which would have left her in "extreme pain" at the time of her death.

Home Office pathologist Alison Armour recovered traces of food in the child's throat suggesting she was alive when submerged in the wet cement.

The inquest heard from construction experts who said the child's tomb was made from two separate cement pourings.

This meant the killer had placed the child head first in the mixture, left her for several minutes before returning later to add more concrete, the inquest heard.

The infant, named Lara by police, was discovered in a garage in the Barepot area of Workington.

Her remains were found when the building's new owner decided to dismantle the concrete block.

Detective Chief Insp Andy Carter, who led the inquiry, described how the decaying remains appeared grey and similar to "dark coloured putty" when discovered.