Anthony Smith: Release of man who abused infant son so badly he lost both legs from prison BLOCKED FOR NOW!
KENT, ENGLAND: Anthony Smith, who tortured his baby so badly that the infant lost both his legs, has had his automatic release from prison blocked under a new law formed to protect the public from the offenders.
Tony Hudgell, now seven, was just 41 days old when he was brutally abused by his birth parents Smith and Jody Simpson. The abuse resulted in multiple fractures, dislocations and blunt trauma to the face, leading to organ failure, toxic shock and sepsis. The baby was left untreated and in excruciating pain for 10 days, and could have died had not the doctors at the Evelina London Children’s Hospital intervened. Sadly, both his legs had to be amputated.
ALSO READ
Who are Tammy and Erich Longie? Foster parents get life for torturing Raven Thompson, 5, to death
Shortly after treatment, officials took Smith and Simpson into custody. In 2018, both of them were sentenced to 10 years in prison for abuse. Smith was due for release in September, but that was halted after his case was referred to the Parole Board by Justice Secretary Dominic Raab.
The new referral law overrides the automatic release of a prisoner in specific circumstances where the board feels that the release can cause harm to public safety. Even Simpson’s release on the license was halted by the board early in August. The decision regarding the release of abusive parents will be delivered by the Parole Board in due course, the Ministry of Justice said. Justice Raab said, "The first duty of the government is to protect the most vulnerable, and no one is more vulnerable than a child. I will do everything in my power to prevent another child enduring the abuse inflicted on Tony Hudgell."
"That’s why I’ve put Anthony Smith’s release on hold and will be referring his case to the Parole Board so that any risk he might pose is thoroughly checked," the justice added.
Previously, Hudgell's adoptive mother, Paula, expressed her joy over the hold on Simpson’s licensed release and said she was "over the moon." She said, "Tony suffers every single day, and their sentence doesn’t reflect the severity of the crime. These sentences were given out and I feel they should serve that time, it shouldn’t just be half that time. The seriousness of Tony’s injuries are life-long and that’s why we fought for tougher sentences."
If you or anyone you know suspects child abuse, you are urged to immediately call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential and the hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.