A 14-month-old girl suffered repeated abuse before losing her life. A successful businesswoman was ambushed at her own front door after becoming the target of a jealous former lover. An American woman traveled thousands of miles to carry out a planned shooting. And a mother of six concealed a family secret so disturbing that two of her children ultimately lost their lives.

These cases are connected by HMP New Hall, the women’s prison in West Yorkshire that has housed some of Britain’s most notorious convicted offenders.

Among the names associated with the prison are Frankie Smith, Katrina Walsh, Amy Betro, Sarah Barrass, and Rosemary West. Their crimes emerged from vastly different circumstances, but each case attracted attention because of the extraordinary decisions, betrayals, and investigative discoveries involved.

One involved repeated warnings about a child’s safety. Another exposed a meticulously planned attack motivated by romantic obsession. A third crossed international borders. The fourth revealed a secret relationship hidden within a family. And the final case remains inseparable from one of Britain’s most infamous serial m.u.r.d.e.r investigations.

The stories also reveal something beyond the actions of the convicted offenders: the people who tried to intervene, the evidence that finally exposed the truth, and the families forced to live with the consequences.

1. Frankie Smith and the Tragic Case of Baby Star Hobson

Star Hobson was born on May 19, 2019, in West Yorkshire.

She was only 16 months old when she d.i.e.d on September 22, 2020.

Her short life became the center of a national scandal after investigators established that she had suffered serious abuse and that warnings about her welfare had repeatedly been raised.

Star’s mother, Frankie Smith, was a teenager when she gave birth.

Following the breakdown of her relationship with Star’s father, Jordan Hobson, Frankie began a relationship with Savannah Brockhill.

Brockhill worked in security and had experience in amateur boxing.

The relationship soon became troubled.

The source describes incidents in which Brockhill behaved aggressively toward Frankie, including an assault in a pub.

By March 2020, the two women were living together with Star.

The timing coincided with the beginning of the United Kingdom’s COVID-19 lockdown.

For Star, the situation became increasingly dangerous.

The warnings that failed to protect her

Members of Star’s extended family noticed injuries and became concerned about her safety.

They contacted children’s services on multiple occasions.

The transcript describes five separate referrals involving allegations of mistreatment.

Relatives also raised concerns after witnessing Brockhill handle Star aggressively.

Star’s great-grandparents, Anita Smith and David Fawcett, were among those who tried to alert authorities.

The family feared that the little girl was being harmed by someone responsible for caring for her.

Yet the concerns did not lead to an intervention sufficient to protect Star.

The adults caring for her disputed the allegations.

According to the source, they suggested that some relatives were motivated by prejudice against their relationship and Brockhill’s background.

Those claims became part of the wider safeguarding dispute.

The important issue was whether professionals had enough information to recognize the danger to Star and respond effectively.

Disturbing evidence emerges

The investigation eventually uncovered video evidence showing Brockhill behaving violently toward Star.

One recording, discussed during the criminal proceedings, showed repeated blows against the toddler while she was in a vehicle.

Other recordings demonstrated deeply troubling treatment of the child.

The evidence challenged explanations that Star’s injuries were ordinary childhood accidents.

It also showed that the abuse had not been confined to a single incident.

On September 22, 2020, Brockhill called emergency services.

During the call, she described Star as unwell and suggested that the child might have fallen while playing.

Paramedics attended and attempted to save her.

Star was taken to hospital, where she was pronounced d.e.a.d.

Medical evidence revealed catastrophic internal injuries.

The convictions and sentences

In December 2021, Savannah Brockhill was convicted of Star’s m.u.r.d.e.r at Bradford Crown Court.

She received a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years.

Frankie Smith was convicted of causing or allowing the d.e.a.t.h of a child.

Her original sentence of eight years was later increased to 12 years.

The transcript identifies Brockhill as being held at HMP Styal and Smith at HMP New Hall.

Star’s case attracted particular attention because it occurred during the same period as the prosecution arising from the d.e.a.t.h of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes.

Both cases prompted serious questions about child protection, professional assessments, and the ability of safeguarding systems to act when relatives report suspected abuse.

For Star’s family, the most painful question remains whether earlier intervention could have saved her.

2. Katrina Walsh and the Planned M.u.r.d.e.r of Sadie Hartley

In January 2016, a concerned employee contacted police after being unable to reach her employer, Sadie Hartley.

Hartley was a successful 60-year-old businesswoman living in Helmshore, Lancashire.

She was known as someone who maintained regular contact with colleagues.

Her unexplained silence was unusual.

When officers attended her home, nobody answered.

Looking through a window, they saw someone lying on the floor.

They entered the property and discovered Hartley’s body.

She had suffered numerous injuries in a violent attack.

The investigation would eventually expose a plot that had developed over many months.

The former lover who refused to move on

Sadie was in a relationship with former firefighter Ian Johnston.

At the time of the attack, Johnston was on a skiing holiday in Switzerland.

Investigators quickly examined his relationships and personal history.

They discovered that he had previously been involved with Sarah Williams, a woman almost 20 years younger than him.

Their relationship began in 2011.

Williams reportedly became deeply attached to Johnston.

When he ended their affair in late 2014, she struggled to accept the separation.

The source describes repeated attempts to contact him and messages sent to Hartley.

Investigators later established that Williams had been developing a plan to remove Hartley from Johnston’s life.

But she did not act entirely alone.

The mysterious woman carrying flowers

Before the attack, a woman had approached Hartley’s home and handed her a bouquet.

The flowers had no card identifying the sender.

The visitor then left.

At the time, the incident may have seemed merely strange.

Investigators later determined that the woman was Katrina Walsh, a friend of Sarah Williams.

Walsh was older than Williams and worked with horses.

The two had developed a close friendship.

According to the prosecution case described in the transcript, Walsh helped Williams prepare for the attack.

The flower delivery was part of that preparation.

It allowed the women to confirm the location of Hartley’s home.

The source also describes a trip to Germany during which the pair obtained a stun gun.

The planning extended to surveillance, travel, and attempts to avoid detection.

The attack at the front door

On January 14, 2016, Sarah Williams traveled to Hartley’s home.

CCTV captured a Renault Clio associated with her movements.

Williams approached the property.

When Hartley answered the door, Williams attacked her with a stun gun before repeatedly stabbing her.

Hartley suffered more than 40 knife wounds.

Williams fled.

The attack was not an unexpected confrontation between two people who happened to meet.

It was the culmination of a planned effort to target Hartley.

The evidence that exposed the conspiracy

Police examined surveillance footage, vehicle movements, telephone records, and physical evidence.

Investigators also discovered purchases connected with the attack.

Williams initially denied responsibility.

But the evidence increasingly contradicted her account.

Walsh was subsequently questioned.

The transcript describes how information in her diary and later cooperation helped police locate concealed weapons.

Her evidence also revealed the planning that had taken place.

Although Walsh did not personally carry out the fatal attack, prosecutors established that she had knowingly participated in the conspiracy.

Two life sentences

In 2016, Sarah Williams and Katrina Walsh were convicted of Sadie Hartley’s m.u.r.d.e.r.

Williams received a life sentence with a minimum term of 30 years.

Walsh received a life sentence with a minimum term of 25 years.

The source places Williams at HMP Styal and Walsh at HMP New Hall.

For Hartley’s daughter, Charlotte, the loss was devastating.

She had recently become engaged when she learned that her mother had been k.i.l.l.e.d.

What should have been a joyful period became one of grief and shock.

The case remains a striking example of how obsessive behavior can escalate into a carefully organized violent crime.

3. Amy Betro: The American Woman Recruited for a Revenge Shooting

Amy Betro’s case began with a dispute thousands of miles away from her home in the United States.

Betro, an American woman from Wisconsin, became involved with a man in England whom she had met through an online dating platform.

That relationship eventually drew her into a criminal conspiracy.

The dispute originated in Birmingham in July 2018.

Mohammed Aslam and his son Mohammed Nazir had been involved in a violent confrontation with members of another family.

The argument concerned a wedding outfit.

Aslam suffered serious injuries.

The conflict intensified into a desire for revenge.

Prosecutors later established that Betro became involved in a plan to attack a member of the opposing family.

A relationship that crossed borders

Betro had traveled to Britain before the attempted shooting.

She maintained contact with Nazir, with whom she had developed a romantic relationship.

The source describes several visits between late 2018 and 2019.

In August 2019, Betro returned to Britain.

Investigators later reconstructed her movements and communications.

The evidence included vehicle rentals, telephone contacts, and preparations associated with the planned attack.

According to the prosecution case, she was supplied with a firearm and directed toward the intended targets.

The night the weapon failed

The confrontation took place in the South Yardley area of Birmingham.

Betro approached a man outside a family home and pointed a gun at him.

She attempted to fire.

The weapon malfunctioned.

That failure gave the intended victim time to escape.

During the incident, damage to Betro’s vehicle further complicated her efforts to pursue him.

The victim survived.

But the attack did not end there.

The source describes Betro returning to the area and firing shots toward a property.

Fortunately, nobody was struck.

Investigators subsequently examined threatening communications and other evidence connected with the incidents.

The international investigation

Betro left Britain and returned to the United States.

She later traveled to Armenia.

The investigation continued over several years.

Authorities ultimately located her, and she was extradited to the United Kingdom in 2024.

Her case proceeded through Birmingham Crown Court.

The source reports that she was sentenced in August 2025 to 30 years in prison for offenses connected with the conspiracy and firearms.

Aslam and Nazir also received prison sentences for their involvement.

The transcript identifies HMP New Hall as Betro’s place of imprisonment.

Her case stands apart from the others because it involved an international relationship, a revenge plot, cross-border travel, and a shooting attempt that failed when the firearm malfunctioned.

The outcome could have been even more devastating.

4. Sarah Barrass: The Family Secret Behind the D.e.a.t.h.s of Two Brothers

Sarah Barrass was a mother of six living in Sheffield.

To professionals who visited the household, she often appeared to be a devoted parent managing the challenges of raising a large family.

Her brother, Brandon Machin, lived nearby and frequently visited.

He appeared to be an involved uncle.

But the family was concealing a deeply disturbing secret.

Machin was not only the children’s uncle.

He was also their biological father.

The relationship between the siblings had remained hidden for years.

As questions about the children’s welfare intensified, the secret became central to a catastrophic series of events.

A difficult childhood and a concealed relationship

The source describes Barrass growing up in an unstable household marked by neglect and allegations of abuse.

She spent periods in the care system.

Machin was an influential figure in her childhood.

Their relationship eventually became s.e.x.u.a.l.

Barrass later had six children.

She did not publicly identify their father.

As the children grew older, questions about their parentage became more difficult to avoid.

Meanwhile, social workers and other professionals were increasingly involved with the family.

Several children required additional support.

The older boys were also experiencing behavioral difficulties.

The transcript describes growing concern about the household and the possibility of further intervention.

Fear of losing the children

Barrass had previously spent time in care herself.

According to the source, she became increasingly fearful that her children might be removed from her custody.

She expressed disturbing thoughts in messages to people around her.

Some communications referred to the possibility of ending her own life and those of her children rather than allowing them to enter care.

These statements were warning signs of a serious risk.

But the danger was not prevented.

Barrass and Machin eventually acted against the children.

The attacks on the children

In May 2019, the two adults attempted to harm several of the children using medication.

That attempt did not produce the outcome they intended.

They later attacked Barrass’s two eldest sons, Blake and Tristan.

Both boys were k.i.l.l.e.d.

Another child survived an attempted attack.

The source describes Barrass subsequently contacting police and initially giving an account that concealed what had happened to the older boys.

However, officers became suspicious.

A younger child communicated information that contradicted her explanation.

Police investigated further.

Barrass eventually admitted involvement.

Machin was also arrested.

The secret revealed in court

The criminal proceedings exposed the biological relationship between Barrass, Machin, and the children.

The revelation shocked the public.

But the family relationship itself was not a justification or explanation that diminished responsibility for the crimes.

The decisive facts were the intentional attacks on children who depended on the adults for protection.

In November 2019, Barrass and Machin pleaded guilty to offenses including m.u.r.d.e.r and attempted m.u.r.d.e.r.

Both received life sentences with minimum terms of 35 years.

The transcript identifies Barrass as being held at HMP New Hall.

Remembering Blake and Tristan

Blake and Tristan loved motorbikes and cars.

Their funeral procession reflected those interests.

Hundreds of motorcyclists reportedly took part in a tribute.

The family home was later demolished, and a memorial space was created.

The surviving children faced the consequences of extraordinary trauma.

Their privacy and welfare remain more important than public curiosity about the adults’ secret.

The case is remembered not only because of the shocking relationship uncovered during the investigation, but because two children lost their lives in circumstances that should never have occurred.

5. Rosemary West: The Woman Behind One of Britain’s Most Infamous Serial M.u.r.d.e.r Cases

Rosemary West is among Britain’s most notorious convicted serial offenders.

Together with her husband, Fred West, she became associated with a series of crimes involving young women and girls in Gloucester.

The investigation exposed years of abuse, exploitation, and m.u.r.d.e.r.

The couple’s home at 25 Cromwell Street became infamous after police uncovered human remains.

Rosemary West was convicted in 1995 of 10 m.u.r.d.e.r.s.

She received a whole-life prison sentence.

Fred West d.i.e.d in custody before standing trial for the crimes.

The house on Cromwell Street

Rosemary and Fred West lived in Gloucester with their children.

Their home appeared outwardly to be an ordinary residential property.

But behind closed doors, investigators later established that serious crimes had occurred.

Several victims were young women who had been living at the property or had come into contact with the couple.

Others were members of the family.

The crimes unfolded over many years.

The investigation eventually revealed a pattern of extreme violence and exploitation.

The victims who were silenced

Among the victims associated with the West investigation were young women whose disappearances had remained unresolved for years.

The source names individuals including Linda Gough, Caroline Cooper, Lucy Partington, Shirley Hubbard, Juanita Mott, Shirley Robinson, Alison Chambers, and Heather West.

The victims had lives, families, friendships, and futures before encountering the perpetrators.

Their identities should not be reduced to the circumstances of their d.e.a.t.h.s.

One particularly devastating aspect of the case was the involvement of the Wests’ own daughter, Heather.

Her remains were among those recovered during the investigation.

The discovery revealed that the danger inside the household extended to members of the family.

The investigation that uncovered the remains

Concerns about abuse within the West household eventually contributed to police scrutiny.

In 1994, investigators searched the property.

Human remains were discovered.

The investigation expanded as further evidence emerged.

The discoveries transformed the case from allegations of abuse into a major serial m.u.r.d.e.r inquiry.

Fred West was arrested.

Rosemary West was also prosecuted.

Fred later d.i.e.d in his prison cell on January 1, 1995.

Rosemary’s trial continued.

The 1995 conviction

Rosemary West was convicted of 10 m.u.r.d.e.r.s.

She received a whole-life order, meaning that she was not given an ordinary minimum term after which she could expect consideration for release.

The source identifies HMP New Hall as her place of detention.

The transcript also includes a claim concerning an alleged incident involving another prisoner in 2026.

That allegation is not accompanied by independently verified official findings in the supplied material.

It should not be presented as an established criminal offense.

Rosemary West’s confirmed convictions are already among the most serious in British criminal history.

There is no need to rely on unverified contemporary claims to understand the gravity of her crimes.

What These Cases Reveal About Violence, Manipulation, and Missed Warnings

The six women discussed in these cases were convicted in different circumstances.

Some were direct perpetrators of fatal violence.

Others were convicted because of their participation in a conspiracy or their responsibility for failing to protect a child.

Their backgrounds and motives differed substantially.

Yet several themes recur.

In the case of Star Hobson, relatives repeatedly raised concerns about injuries and abuse.

In the case of Sadie Hartley, a former relationship escalated into stalking-like behavior, surveillance, and a carefully planned attack.

Amy Betro’s case demonstrated how a personal relationship could become entangled with an existing violent dispute.

Sarah Barrass’s case involved disturbing statements about harming children before the crimes occurred.

The Rosemary West investigation exposed serious offenses that continued over many years before the full extent of the violence was uncovered.

These similarities do not mean the cases were identical.

They demonstrate how warning signs can emerge in very different forms.

A family member may report injuries.

A former partner may repeatedly contact someone after a relationship ends.

A parent may communicate explicit threats.

Or a household may conceal abuse from the outside world.

The difficult question is whether those warning signs are recognized, investigated, and acted upon before irreversible harm occurs.

The Victims Behind the Headlines

True-crime reporting often focuses on the offenders because their actions appear difficult to comprehend.

But the victims remain the most important people in these stories.

Star Hobson was a toddler who depended entirely on adults for safety.

Sadie Hartley was a successful businesswoman whose family expected her to have many more years ahead.

Blake and Tristan Barrass were boys with interests, friendships, and lives beyond the disturbing circumstances of their home.

The intended victims in Amy Betro’s case survived a dangerous attack.

The young women and girls targeted by Fred and Rosemary West lost futures that cannot be restored.

The surviving relatives have also carried consequences that extend far beyond the courtroom.

Convictions and prison sentences establish legal responsibility.

They do not erase grief.

Nor do they undo the failures, decisions, and circumstances that allowed the crimes to occur.

HMP New Hall and the Reality Behind the Notorious Names

HMP New Hall is a women’s prison in West Yorkshire.

The transcript uses the prison as a common thread linking several convicted offenders.

However, a person’s reported prison placement should not be treated as permanently fixed.

Prisoners can be transferred, and public information about individual locations may become outdated.

The significance of the cases lies primarily in the convictions and the crimes themselves, rather than the particular establishment where sentences are being served.

Frankie Smith’s conviction arose from the failure to protect her daughter.

Katrina Walsh was convicted for her involvement in a planned m.u.r.d.e.r.

Amy Betro was sentenced for participating in a serious revenge-related criminal conspiracy.

Sarah Barrass was convicted after the fatal attacks on two of her sons.

Rosemary West remains subject to a whole-life sentence for serial m.u.r.d.e.r.

Together, their stories expose very different forms of criminal responsibility.

They also show how the legal system distinguishes between direct violence, conspiracy, and other offenses arising from a victim’s d.e.a.t.h.

The Final Question

There is no single explanation for why these women committed their crimes.

Some cases involved jealousy and obsession.

Others involved coercive relationships, revenge, or the deliberate concealment of disturbing conduct.

Several revealed warnings that had been raised before the worst happened.

And in every case, the consequences reached far beyond the convicted offender.

The most unsettling detail is not simply that these women ended up in prison.

It is how many opportunities, relationships, and ordinary moments preceded the crimes.

A relative contacted social services.

A woman received flowers from a stranger.

A gun malfunctioned outside a family home.

A child tried to tell police what had happened.

And a residential property concealed evidence of crimes committed over many years.

Each detail became significant only when investigators understood the wider story.

Behind the notorious names are victims whose lives were permanently changed—and a question that remains central to every one of these cases: how much danger could have been recognized before it was too late?