According to prosecutors, the sugar “made the liquid more viscous, thicker and stickier, so that it stays on the skin and causes greater damage and that is exactly what it did”. Baines suffered burns on 36% of his body. He was admitted into the Whiston Hospital Burns Units critical care unit and then into the high dependency unit. He endured skin grafts and surgeries but he eventually passed away due to his injuries five weeks after the incident, on August 18, 2021.

On July 14 of that year, Smith’s daughter told her that Baines had sexually abused her and her brother “for many years when they were children”. Her brother, Craig, had taken his own life in 2007 at the age of 25. He was troubled throughout his life, even going to prison for assault. Before his death, he had admitted to his mother that the person he assaulted was a pedophile who had “touched him sexually“. Years later, Smith connected this incident with her daughter’s claim and administered punishment on the one she thought responsible.

At court, Judge Amanda Yip, QC, stated to her, “You found it difficult to take everything in, but made the connection between what Craig had said the day before he died and what your daughter was telling you. You were understandably very upset. You were described as being livid and fuming at the thought of what had been done to your children.”

Later on, Judge Yip stated, “Killing Mr. Baines also took away any opportunity for the allegations to be tested. That took away his right to a fair trial, bearing in mind that everyone is innocent until proven guilty. I have no doubt that this has caused untold pain to Mr. Baines’ children. The allegations are left hanging but unproven…”