'I can never forgive him, I hate him': Father speaks out after Jasmine Forrester murder trial
The father of an 11-year-old child bludgeoned to death by her great uncle has said today he hates him and will never be able to forgive him.
Speaking after Delroy Forrester had been acquitted of the murder of Jasmine Forrester but found guilty of manslaughter, Simeon Forrester said: “This was the best result available but I still don’t feel real justice has been done to an innocent little girl.”
The 30-year-old, who has two other children aged 10 and five, added: “People had been telling me to expect a worst case scenario so I came out of court feeling better than I did when I went in.
"I would still have liked him to be sent to prison rather than a high security psychiatric hospital but I am not trained to judge cases.”
Mr Forrester, who lives on the opposite side of the street to the address where the killing took place, blamed a fractured relationship with many members of his family for him not being alerted to the attack until almost four hours later.
He said: “They could have shouted from the doorstep”.
Asked about his daughter’s killer, Mr Forrester said: “I can never forgive Delroy for what he did. I hate him.
"From the evidence I have seen I accept that something was wrong with him although I believe those on his side were trying to overplay it for the jury.
“I blame other people more than him. He was seeking help and, while some members of the family did their best to intervene, he was let down by others. They cannot look me in the eye."
Jasmine Forrester had nearly 100 separate sites of injury throughout her body, with over half around her head and neck, following her beating at the hands of Delroy Forrester on February 9, hours after his daughter Tyler called for help from a mental health crisis team at Wolverhampton’s Penn Hospital.
She warned: ‘You had better make sure he doesn’t kill my nan tonight’ when they declined to offer assistance after she told them he was not at risk, the court heard.
Another call made by her to the 111 emergency helpline was also fruitless because staff were unwilling to discuss the case without him either giving permission for the conversation or being present when the call was made.
Delroy Forrester, aged 51, had a brain tumour removed in his 30s leaving him with epilepsy.
Further recent examination had shown a recurrence of the tumour which was allegedly linked to the mental decline that cost Jasmine her life.
Both were staying at the home of his mother Victoria in Kent Road, Parkfields, on the night in question amid growing concern about his increasingly bizarre behaviour.
Mrs Forrester rushed to a neighbour’s to raise the alarm when he became violent, slapping both her and the child.
Jonathan Rees QC, prosecuting, revealed: “She then heard Jasmine scream. She told the neighbour Delroy was dragging and throwing her grand daughter around the living room.”
Armed police arrived around 1.10am to find the defendant straddling Jasmine in the doorway with a broken chair leg in his right hand. He allegedly told them: ‘The devil had to die. I kill her bud.’
Jasmine’s father declared: “I am not saying the crisis team or emergency helpline did anything wrong. They were just following protocol.
"Tyler called the family member who was supposed to be taking Delroy to hospital 16 times on the night the incident happened but he did not reply.”
Mr Forrester said of his daughter: “She was a beautiful child who was always smiling. In the 11 years of her life I never had to shout at her or discipline her. She was the best – a beautiful little girl. This should never have happened. She is missed by so many people.
“I saw her in the hospital but she was on a life support machine and covered up. The amount of injuries was horrifying. There could never be justification for that level of violence, even if the culprit was mentally ill.”
Mr Forrester’s younger brother Nathaniel added: “She was a happy child who liked to read, dance, sing – she was a real girlie girl.”
