Chef found guilty of murdering one-year-old stepdaughter

A chef has been found guilty of murdering his one-year-old stepdaughter.

Martin Johnson, 20, told police he had been playing with Erin Tomkins at her home when she suddenly collapsed in front of him.

But prosecutors told a jury of four men and eight women at Sheffield Crown Court that medical experts found a number of bruises on Erin’s body, including “10 areas of injury to the head and face”.

A post-mortem examination found that Erin, who was a few weeks short of her second birthday, had also suffered a broken arm and a number of fractures to her spine in the weeks leading up to her death.

Johnson was found guilty of murder on Friday morning after less than two hours of deliberations, along with two counts of causing grievous bodily harm with intent.

He stared straight ahead as he stood in the dock for the verdicts, flanked by two security guards.

The judge, Mr Justice Goss, said he will be sentenced on Friday afternoon.