Gloucestershire Mother Jailed 15 Years Manslaughter Baby

Melissa Wilband, a 28-year-old mother from Gloucestershire, was jailed for 15 years after being found guilty of manslaughter for violently shaking her four-month-old daughter, Lexi Wilband, leading to fatal brain bleeding. Lexi collapsed at their home in Newent in April 2020 and died six days later at Bristol Children's Hospital. Tests indicated that Lexi had been shaken on at least two occasions, with Wilband denying the acts and claiming a physical inability to shake her daughter. Wilband's former partner, Jack Wheeler, who was not Lexi's biological father, was acquitted of all charges after the prosecution withdrew the case against him. The trial also revealed that Wilband deceived Wheeler into believing he was the biological father using a fake DNA certificate, and that the couple had a volatile relationship. Prosecutors highlighted that Wilband was aware Lexi might die overnight but did not remain at her bedside, leaving a nurse to hold the baby’s hand until her death.