THE sentence handed down to the mother of tragic Keighley tot Star Hobson is to be reviewed at the Court of Appeal.

Attorney General, the Rt Hon Suella Braverman QC MP, has referred the matter to the court after deciding the sentence was too lenient.

Frankie Smith, 20, was last month jailed for eight years after being convicted of allowing her daughter's death.

Sixteen-month-old Star Hobson was killed in September, 2020. She had suffered a horrific catalogue of injury, cruelty and neglect throughout her short life.

Smith's partner, Savannah Brockhill, 28, was imprisoned for a minimum of 25 years after being found guilty of murder.

Keighley MP Robbie Moore has welcomed the Attorney General's decision, although he has voiced disappointment that Brockhill's sentence wasn't referred too.

He had written to Ms Braverman asking for both sentences to be reviewed under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme.

"I am very pleased that following my letter the Attorney General has decided to refer the sentence of Frankie Smith to the Court of Appeal," said Mr Moore.

"Smith oversaw and allowed the vile treatment of her daughter Star Hobson which led to her tragic death. Her actions were despicable, vile and evil. It is incomprehensible how a mother could have treated her daughter with such contempt. In my opinion the sentence of eight years which the judge issued went nowhere near matching the horrendous crime, and I will follow the developments in the Court of Appeal very closely.

"It is however disappointing that the sentence given to Savannah Brockhill will not also be reviewed. Brockhill’s wicked actions, that included repeatedly beating baby Star so hard that it caused internal bleeding and her death, in my opinion deserves a much tougher sentence than the 25 years imprisonment she received."

Ms Braverman said: "This is a tragic and extremely upsetting case and my thoughts are with all those who loved Star Hobson. This vulnerable and innocent child was subjected to continued physical abuse and her mother, Frankie Smith, allowed it to happen.

"This case will have caused upset to anyone who read about it, but my job is to decide if a sentence appears to be too low based solely on the facts of the case.

"I have carefully considered the details of this case, and I concluded that I can refer Frankie Smith’s sentence to the Court of Appeal as I believe it is unduly lenient.

"However, I have concluded that I cannot refer Savannah Brockhill’s sentence. I can only challenge a sentence if it is not just lenient but unduly so, such that the sentencing judge made a gross error or imposed a sentence outside the range of sentences reasonably available in the circumstances of the offence. The threshold is a high one, and the test was not met in this case.

"Savannah Brockhill was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 25 years before being considered for parole. As the sentencing judge remarked, 25 years is a minimum and she may serve longer. In my opinion, that sentence is not unduly lenient.”

A date is to be set for the Court of Appeal hearing.