A couple have been jailed for a combined total of 56 years for killing a 10-month-old baby boy. A jury found Stephen Boden and partner Shannon Marsden guilty of the "savage and brutal murder" of Finley Boden.
It follows a trial which lasted a number of months at Derby Crown Court, according to Derbyshire Live. The murder took place at the couple’s home in Holland Road, Old Whittington, Derbyshire.
Finley was in the sole care of the two defendants during the winter coronavirus >Covid lockdown in December 2020, 39 days after the tot was returned to their care. He suffered 130 separate “appalling” injuries, including 71 bruises and cuts, 57 bone fractures and two burns in the three weeks prior to his death, some of which were up to two weeks old.
Has your business been affected by the cost of living crisis? Have your say
Opening the trial in November last year, Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, said: "What is this case about? This case involves the savage and brutal murder of a baby boy called Finley. The prosecution say that he was murdered by his mother and father working together. This little boy would have [been in] pain leading up to his death, he would have limited movement, and moving his leg to change his nappy would have hurt a lot.
"How did Finley die? After his ribs were fractured, in the absence of any medical care or attention, Finley’s body tried to cope with all of his broken bones, his pain and swelling. Because of the large number of rib fractures, Finley struggled to breathe as well as he had done before.
"He got a chest infection which spread around his body. Infection took hold. He developed pneumonia. His heart became infected. He developed endocarditis, a life-threatening inflammation of the inner lining of the heart’s chambers and valves. By the time he died he had developed sepsis."
Mrs Prior said Marsden was 17 and Boden was 24 when they first met and that they both enjoyed smoking cannabis together. She said Finley was born in February 2020 and was initially taken into care but returned to the care of his parents 39 days before he died.
She said: "Finley relied on his mother and father to look after him and seek medical attention for him. They did not do that, neither of them. In the days leading up to his death, neither of his parents took him to their GP, the hospital or called 111 or 999 to get help for Finley until he died. There were professionals who could have helped him. Why did they fail to seek medical help?
"We say there is only one answer and that's that these parents worked together to keep professionals away to protect each other and to cover up serious violence. The result of this self-centred and self-focused conduct was that they watched his laboured breathing together.
"They watched his lack of movement. They watched him deteriorate together and allowed him to die. Had they put Finley first, had they taken him for treatment, then the likelihood is that he would have lived."
Finley was returned to Boden and Marsden’s care, in a legal bid supported by the couple, over a set eight-week period by a family court order, despite Derbyshire social services asking for a longer six-month transition. Just weeks after the baby was back living with the couple, a social worker looked through the window to see Finley “lying on the sofa, by himself”, however, the youngster remained in his parents’ care.
Giving evidence in his defence, Boden, 30, acknowledged that he told police in an interview that he may have “rocked (Finley) too hard”, which could have accidentally caused the injuries, but that this was never an attempt to hurt him.
He said: “When I used to rock Finley, he used to like it quite fast and strong when we did it, but it got to the point where I had to give some kind of explanation as to how it could have happened.”
Boden admitted that he continued a sexual relationship with Marsden after being arrested and bailed in late 2020, despite not being allowed to contact each other under their bail conditions. After being arrested again and remanded in custody in early 2022, the pair sent Valentine’s Day cards and letters to each other, in which Marsden, 22, said she would love Boden “forever” and would “always be standing by” her partner.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “The cruelty and abuse inflicted on Finley leading up to his tragic death was appalling and heart-breaking.
“The death of a child in such brutal circumstances leaves many of us asking questions and we await the Child Safeguarding Practice Review to establish exactly what happened and any ways in which Finley could have been better protected, in order to help prevent future tragedies.
“We know that babies and our youngest children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and completely reliant on the adults around them for care and protection. Nationally the Government must take forward the changes recommended by previous reviews and experts to transform the child protection system and ensure the different agencies involved are able to work together effectively to focus on children and babies like Finley.
“It’s also crucial that everyone does all they can to prevent child abuse. Anyone who has concerns for a child’s safety should contact the local authorities, the police or the NSPCC Helpline.”
READ NEXT:
Coxmoor Road murder investigation launched as human remains 'obviously buried by someone'
New clothing store 'with a difference' coming to Nottinghamshire high street
Ofgem new energy price cap to be announced - and how it will affect your bills
Man says he's a 'good soul' as he vows to stay out of trouble after TK Maxx 'shoplifting expedition'
