Nicola Priest, 23, was jailed for 15 years for manslaughter after her daughter Kaylee-Jayde Priest was found dead with chest and abdominal injuries.
Callum Redfern, Priest’s 22-year-old ex-lover, was also sentenced to 14 years in jail for the death of the child.
Kaylee Jayde Priest
Little Kaylee-Jayde Priest died from serious chest and abdominal injuries
And the mum was handed a concurrent sentence of three years for a child cruelty charge.
Speaking to The Sun, Redfern’s dad Andrew Redfern, has since branded Priest an “evil mother”, claiming she would neglect her child in times of need.
Mr Redfern, 42, said: “Nikki is an evil mother – she doesn’t deserve kids.
“She was stood outside this house smoking and Kaylee’s nappy needed changing.
“She said ‘you can just stay in it’ – that was her attitude.
She was stood outside this house smoking and Kaylee’s nappy needed changing. She said ‘you can just stay in it’ – that was her attitude.Andrew Redfern
“She wouldn’t come in the house to take her to the toilet.”
He added that his son Callum, who was described in court as a “a sly, deceitful, cunning conman” with a “fiery temper”, “got caught up in it”.
“He was only there so he could have sex at the end of the day.
“He’s too much like a kid himself to be manipulating her,” he said.
Priest’s own mum Debbie Windmill called social services to report her daughter because she was so worried about little Kaylee.
But she did not want to be drawn into the Redfern family’s claims and declined to comment as another member of his family – who asked not to be named – accused Priest of trying to get off with her crime by pinning the blame on Redfern.
They said: “Only Nicola and Callum know what really happened – and one of them is lying.
“I think she couldn’t handle having kids and she took her rage out on Kaylee. She had never bonded with her child.”
Nicola Priest and Callum Redfern pointed the finger of blame at each other during their trial
Nicola Priest and Callum Redfern pointed the finger of blame at each other during their trial
‘FEROCIOUS ASSAULT’
Jailing Priest at Birmingham Crown Court, the sentencing judge described how Kaylee’s injuries had been inflicted in a “ferocious” assault.
Experts likened her wounds to those of a child hit by a car at 40mph, or from falling three floors on to a concrete floor.
Mr Justice Foxton QC said: “Kaylee was put to bed some time around 7pm, while the two of you went to have sex in Nicola Priest’s bedroom.
“But like many children her age, Kaylee did not want to go to bed, but to stay up and play.”
He said there was no direct evidence as to what happened next, but that Kaylee subsequently vomited repeatedly, later dying of her injuries overnight.
The judge said: “The vomiting was the result of the severe beating you were both responsible for inflicting on her.
“No doubt irritated by Kaylee crying, asking to be let out, it interrupted the two of you when you wanted to have sex.
“You lost your tempers and were parties to the assault which cost Kaylee her life.
“A prompt call for medical assistance by one or the other of you would have saved Kaylee’s life.”
From the severity of the injuries caused by the assault it is clear there was an intention to cause serious harmMr Justice Foxton
He added: “From the severity of the injuries caused by the assault it is clear there was an intention to cause serious harm. The injuries were caused by a ferocious assault.”
He added: “You and Redfern were equally responsible. You had ample opportunity to raise any concerns. Kaylee was very vulnerable and you were in a position of trust. You did nothing to summon help.”
Haunting CCTV footage showed the mum from Edgbaston, Birmingham, with her daughter Kaylee-Jayde just hours before the tot was found dead at their flat on August 9 last year.
On Thursday, a jury convicted Priest of manslaughter after hearing she dialled 999 – but Kaylee had been “dead before the call was made”.
The tot, described in court as a “happy child”, died from serious chest and abdominal injuries.
She also suffered historical injuries – including broken ribs, lower leg fractures, and a broken sternum, Birmingham Crown Court heard.
Priest and Callum Redfern blamed each other during their trial, but were at the time in a “close sexual relationship”.
Both were unanimously cleared of murder but convicted of Kaylee’s manslaughter on Thursday.
Jurors heard how Priest would hit Kaylee around the head and refer to her as a “f***ing brat”, while the little girl was also heard crying “in a fearful tone”.
On one occasion, neighbours in a flat below at Kingshurst House, Solihull, heard a bang above and then Kaylee crying, before allegedly hearing Priest say: “I’ll just say she fell off the bed.”
The same residents claimed they noticed that “when Kaylee cried, the response appeared to be to drown out her crying with music”.
In a text message exchange on July 24 2020, days before Kaylee’s death, Priest told Redfern: “I’m gonna kill her… because she keeps leaving the living room or going in the kitchen, so I’ve paled (hit) her one and smacked her for sh**ting in her nappy.”
Redfern said: “Good – give her one from me.”
Priest replied: “I will, babe.”
Three days later, Redfern messaged Priest saying: “I’m going to keep the little brat away from me… sick of your spunking daughter.”
Prosecutors said the messages painted a vivid picture of the “uncaring attitude from Priest and Redfern towards Kaylee”.
The court was also shown a video of Priest dancing around in her room while miming to a song in a TikTok video she posted 45 days after Kaylee’s death.
Opening the case at the start of the trial, prosecution barrister Andrew Smith QC said: “The prosecution case is that her death was caused by her having received serious injuries to her chest and abdomen in a sustained assault on August 8, 2020.
“That intentional assault occurred when both of the defendants were alone with Kaylee-Jayde.”
From the time Priest moved into the flat in mid-2019, neighbours heard her “shouting with real regularity” at Kaylee, including comments like “Shut up”, “Go away” or “Leave me alone” – and “never anything positive or kind”.
In CCTV played to court, Kaylee-Jayde and her mum were seen together, just hours before the youngster’s fatal collapse, using a lift at the block of flats where they lived.
The footage showed no physical contact between the pair, with Priest neglecting even to reach out to hold her daughter’s hand.
Nicola Priest was sentenced to 15 years and Callum Redfern, was jailed for 14 years, after being found guilty of manslaughter.
In a statement released through police after the verdicts, Kaylee’s gran Debbie Windmill said the impact of her death would live with her for the rest of her life.
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