Baby killed by his mum and dad in 'savage and brutal' Christmas Day murder
14.04.2023 - 14:29
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
The parents of a baby boy who burned and beat him in 'repeated acts of severe violence' have been convicted of his 'savage and brutal' Christmas Day murder.
Stephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden, 22, were convicted after a five-week trial at Derby Crown Court on today (Friday April 14), after the death of Finley Boden in the winter 2020 Covid lockdown – 39 days after he was placed back into their care.
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC described how 10-month-old Finley had suffered a catalogue of “appalling” injuries, including 71 bruises over his body and 57 fractures, many inflicted in the short period before his fatal collapse.
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Only hours after his son’s death, Boden was heard telling Marsden at hospital that he was going to sell Finley’s pushchair on eBay – later telling police he only said this in an effort to lighten the mood.
Finley’s pelvis had been broken in two places, possibly from sustained “kicking or stamping”, and he had two burns on his left hand – one “from a hot, flat surface”, the other probably “from a cigarette lighter flame”.
He fatally collapsed after suffering a cardiac arrest at the family’s “cluttered” and filthy terraced home in Holland Road, Old Whittington, Chesterfield, Derbyshire – with faeces later found in the bedroom.
Paramedics were called to the property at 2.33am on Christmas Day and Finley was taken to hospital, but despite medics’ best efforts he was pronounced dead at 3.45am. Later Marsden, while visiting Finley’s body in a hospital chapel of rest on January 11 2021, would say: “His dad’s battered him to death. I didn’t protect him.”
Boden had claimed the family dog may have “jumped on” his son, inflicting broken