A woman who forced her nine-year-old
granddaughter to run until she collapsed and died has been sentenced to
life in prison without parole.
Prosecutors had sought the death penalty
for Joyce Hardin Garrard, who made Savannah Hardin sprint outside her
home for hours as punishment for lying about eating chocolate.
Savannah eventually collapsed and vomited because of the prolonged exercise in 2012.
She died several days later in hospital after doctors removed her from life support.
Garrard had continually denied that she
had intended to harm the child during her trial in Alabama - and
insisted she was helping her granddaughter to do better in gym classes.
The 50-year-old had told the court:
"[Savannah] asked me to coach her. Instead of coming second in her
running class at school, she wanted to come first."
Jurors voted 7-5 in favour of life in
prison without the possibility of parole - but under Alabama law, Judge
Billy Ogletree did have the option to override their recommendation and
sentence Garrard to death by lethal injection.
As they considered the sentence, Deputy
District Attorney Marcus Reid told the jury: "This case is the only case
I know of where the perpetrator forced the victim to participate in her
own death. Joyce Garrard forced Savannah Gardin to help kill herself."
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