In a harrowing case that has shaken the community, a mother has been convicted of killing her four-month-old daughter by violently shaking her. Melissa Wilband, 28, was found guilty of manslaughter by a jury at Bristol Crown Court after her baby, Lexi Wilband, suffered fatal brain injuries at their home in Newent, Gloucestershire.
Lexi collapsed on 12 April 2020 and was rushed to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital before being transferred to Bristol Children’s Hospital. Despite medical intervention, she died on 18 April with a nurse holding her hand. MRI scans and post-mortem results revealed Lexi had suffered catastrophic brain injuries caused by shaking—both recently and on at least one earlier occasion. Her eyes also showed extensive internal bleeding “too numerous to count”.
Wilband’s former partner Jack Wheeler, 31, was charged with causing or allowing Lexi’s death but was acquitted after the jury found him not guilty. A manslaughter charge against him had previously been withdrawn.
The court heard Wilband had lied to Wheeler about being Lexi’s biological father, even faking a DNA certificate. Despite discovering the truth after Lexi’s birth in November 2019, Wheeler continued to raise Lexi as his own child.
On the day of the incident, Wilband phoned NHS 111 claiming Lexi had stopped breathing in her bouncer chair. During the trial, she blamed Wheeler for allegedly swinging Lexi while in the chair, but he denied the claim and said he had no idea what caused Lexi’s collapse.
Prosecutor Jane Osborne KC described how Wilband showed little concern for Lexi’s wellbeing—even declining to hold her baby before she was intubated and later leaving the hospital ward overnight, despite knowing Lexi might die.
Detective Inspector Adam Stacey of Gloucestershire Police said: “Melissa Wilband inflicted such serious injuries that were sadly to prove fatal. Tragically, Lexi passed away six days later despite the best efforts of all the medical staff who tried to save her.
“Wilband told lie after lie—from Lexi’s conception, to the birth, to the moment Lexi collapsed, and throughout the investigation and trial. The jury saw through her deceit.
“Lexi should be five years old now, with her whole future ahead of her. She was shaken by someone who should have been protecting her—her mother.”
Mr Wheeler’s family expressed relief at the outcome, saying: “We do not forget that a little girl he loved as his own has lost her life.”
Wilband, who denied the charges throughout the trial, has been granted conditional bail and will be sentenced on 22 May.
This tragic case underscores the devastating consequences of shaken baby syndrome, and police have reiterated the importance of seeking help when struggling with infant care or mental health challenges.
