Judge warns family trio they face jail over baby kidnap

Police in Huddersfield launched a search for 23-year-old Jodie Little and the child, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, after the youngster was taken during a pre-arranged meeting with staff at Kirklees Social Services in Crosland Moor, Huddersfield on March 12.

West Yorkshire Police appealed for public help to find Little and the baby after social services staff had raised the alarm.

Little’s photograph appeared in newspapers and on television news bulletins as police officers stepped up their search for the pair.

The baby and Little were found in Huddersfield by police two days later.

Little and her parents Jayne, 47, and Keith, 53, all pleaded guilty to the kidnap charge when they appeared before a judge at Bradford Crown Court yesterday morning.

Jodie Little, of Dyson Street, Dalton, Huddersfield, also admitted a further offence of affray arising out of her arrest on March 14.

Her barrister Sophie Drake said she pleaded guilty to the affray on the basis that she had pointed a knife at her own throat and not the child’s and had only threatened to kill herself.

Prosecutor Simon Waley said it was also accepted that Little had been waving the knife in the direction of officers who had attended the scene.

Little is currently remanded in custody and she took part in yesterday’s hearing through a video link.

Jayne and Keith Little are both on conditional bail and Judge John Potter told all three defendants that in adjourning their cases for the preparation of reports he was giving no indication as to the sentence.

He told Jodie Little to prepare herself for a custodial sentence and said her parents had also pleaded guilty to a serious matter.

The judge told them that custody was a likely outcome.

Jayne Little has a condition on her bail that she abides by an electronically-monitored night-time curfew at her home in Dyson Street.

Her husband is currently living with his parents in Middlesex.

Judge Potter said the case would be listed for sentence on August 9.