An 18-month-old toddler tragically lost his life due to severe abuse, allegedly inflicted by his mother and her former partner in Devon. The court was informed that Alfie Philips passed away on November 28, 2020, with numerous visible injuries, including fractures to his ribs, arms, and leg, as well as signs of smothering on his lips and mouth.
These injuries were the result of what was described as "aggressive, violent discipline" fueled by drug and alcohol use.
Sian Hedges, 27, from Yelverton, Devon, and her then-partner Jack Benham, 35, are currently on trial at Maidstone Crown Court, facing charges of murder in connection with Alfie's death. During the trial, Hedges, visibly emotional, heard about the injuries suffered by her son. Both Hedges and Benham vehemently deny the murder charges.
The court learned that traces of cocaine were discovered in Alfie's blood and urine samples. Doctors suggested this could have been due to passive inhalation or external contact with the drug. During police interviews, both Hedges and Benham admitted to using cocaine that night and drinking whisky and coke while Alfie was asleep in the caravan.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC stated, "It is clear that he had been deliberately injured on more than one occasion, culminating in an assault perpetrated on him during the night of 27 to 28 November 2020 that led to his death." She further emphasized that Benham and Hedges were together in the caravan throughout the night, and if one of them had not participated in the assaults, they could have intervened to save Alfie.
Text messages exchanged between the defendants a month before Alfie's death were presented to the jurors. In one message, Benham suggested Hedges bite Alfie back after he had bitten her, to which Hedges declined. Other messages portrayed Benham referring to Alfie as a 'cry baby' and making threatening remarks.
Alfie's post-mortem examination revealed a shocking 70 separate bruises and injuries on his body, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of death. The pathologist concluded that he was killed by the actions of others.
The court heard that Benham carried Alfie out of the caravan when he was unresponsive, and Benham's mother attempted CPR until paramedics arrived. Benham claimed he believed Alfie had died because he had been lying on him.
Throughout police interviews, both defendants denied responsibility for Alfie's injuries, attributing them to previous falls or accidents. Benham repeatedly expressed that he would deserve severe consequences if he had caused Alfie's death.
The trial is expected to continue for three to four weeks.
In another development in New York, a DoorDash driver got arrested on Wednesday for allegedly using food deliveries to hide her theft of packages in two separate cases. See detailed story here
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