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Derbyshire baby killer Craig Crouch plans to launch an appeal against his conviction and sentence, the government’s Judicial Office has confirmed.

Crouch, 39, was jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years in August after being convicted of murdering baby Jacob Crouch.

Following a trial he was also found guilty of three counts of child cruelty.

A jury heard 10-month-old Jacob endured “a culture of cruelty” at the hands of step-dad Crouch and mum Gemma Barton before his death on December 30, 2020.

Crouch, 39, was jailed for life with a minimum of 28 years in August

Barton, 33, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and one count of child cruelty. She was jailed for 10 years.

Prosecutor Mary Prior KC said Jacob died “in his cot, alone” at his Swadlincote home after contracting peritonitis – an inflammation of the lining of abdominal organs.

He had suffered at least 39 rib fractures in a minimum of four separate assaults.

Ten-month-old Jacob Crouch endured “a culture of cruelty” at the hand of step-dad Crouch and mum Gemma Barton

Ms Prior said Jacob was “kicked or stamped on with such severe force that it fractured a rib and caused a tear in his stomach and bowel”.

Jurors were told the infant suffered the bowl injury between two and twelve hours before his death.

A spokesperson for the Judiciary Office confirmed this week that Crouch has filed an application for leave to appeal against conviction and sentence.

Although no date for a hearing has yet been set.

It comes after an appeal in September for Crouch and Barton's sentences to be increased under the unduly lenient sentencing scheme.

However the appeal was rejected by the Attorney General’s Office – referrals are only successful when there has been a “gross error of judgement”.

Derbyshire baby killer Craig Crouch in appeal against conviction and sentence