Two evil parents broke their baby's bones in what was described as a "savage and prolonged" murder.
Shannon Marsden, 30, and Stephen Boden, 20 - described as "monsters" by a relative - inflicted "vicious and repeated assaults" on their 10-month-old son, Finley Boden, in the space of just over a month in their filthy home near Chesterfield, Derbyshire. Finley died on Christmas Day 2020 and was found to have 130 separate injuries at the time of his death, as well as diseases including sepsis and pneumonia.
The injuries included a broken pelvis, broken shoulder, fractured shinbone, fractured collarbones, several fractured ribs and four separate thighbone fractures, as well as 71 bruises and other burns, with his blood, vomit and faeces found on his clothes and body. Today, Friday, May 26, Marsden and Boden were handed life sentences with respective minimum terms of 27 and 29 years at Derby Crown Court.
READ MORE: Trial collapsed after disgraced police officer researched defendant
Finley was exposed to what prosecutor Mary Prior KC described as "vicious and repeated assaults" at the family home in Holland Road, Old Whittington, that culminated in his "savage and prolonged" murder. She said during the trial the broken pelvis was possibly from sustained "kicking or stamping", with injuries likened to a multi-storey fall.
He also had two burns on his left hand - one "from a hot, flat surface", the other probably "from a cigarette lighter flame". Despite the fact Finley's pain "would have been obvious", Mrs Prior said, his parents only gave him Calpol for pain relief and claimed that their son "always had crackly ribs".
As their son's condition deteriorated, Boden, 30, and Marsden, 22, hid him from social workers and family for the last month of his life despite them making several attempts to see him, with Mrs Prior saying the pair told a "series of persistent lies". A social worker visited the home on November 19 and noticed Finley had a 4cm bump on his head, which Marsden claimed was due to him hitting his head on a toy, an explanation that was accepted by social services.
But he was then seen to be bruised during a visit on November 27 - the last time social services saw Finley alive - with family photos taken two days later showing bruising to Finley's left cheek, ear and scalp. This was the first evidence of non-accidental injuries inflicted on Finley.
He was last seen alive at 7.16pm on Christmas Eve on the CCTV of a Tesco Express. The court heard Finley was taken into care days after he was born but was returned to his parents' full-time care in November after a Family Court order was made in October 2020.
The Family Court was shown images of a tidy family home and also told by Marsden: "I love [Finley] and the prospect of [him] returning to my care has made me incredibly happy."
A social worker described Finley as "a smiler" who "likes to blow raspberries", with his parents describing him as "perfect" and a "cuddly, chunky munchkin". The jury at Derby Crown Court saw images taken during the murder investigation of a house covered in dirt and clutter, including cannabis paraphernalia in the same room as gone-off baby formula.
Police found blood-stained items including a vomit and faeces-stained cot mattress cover, duvet cover, Mickey Mouse baby grow and a "Captain Cute" T-shirt. After Finley's death, the pair were seen laughing and joking in a taxi and asking what food would be served at a family Christmas gathering.
While the judge accepted Marsden, of no fixed abode, was the victim of domestic abuse, she said arguments were a "regular feature" of their relationship. But while she said Boden could be "uncontrollably and aggressively angry", she said Marsden was "quite capable of standing your own ground in arguments".
When she visited Finley's body in a hospital chapel of rest, Marsden said: "His dad's battered him to death. I didn't protect him."
Sentencing the parents, Mrs Justice Amanda Tipples said they were "persuasive and accomplished liars" who "brutally assaulted" their son.
She said: "You both knew that Finley was very seriously ill and dying... yet you deliberately failed to seek any medical help for him and you made sure that he was not seen by anyone that could have rescued him and taken him away from your care.
"He was subject to repeated abuse on multiple occasions. Once the injuries had been inflicted, Finley's daily experience was one of considerable pain, distress and suffering.
"It was obvious to both of you by December 16 that Finley was very seriously injured, and he was utterly miserable.
"He was no longer able to sit up and play with his toys. He was unable to feed himself."
She added: "By the evening of December 23 he was plainly dying. There was nothing subtle about this at all. It was plainly obvious to both of you."
Immediately before she passed the sentence, the judge said: "Neither of you have shown any remorse at all for what you have done."
The pair showed no emotion and remained silent during sentencing, while family members wept in the public gallery as the judge detailed the horrific abuse they inflicted on Finley.
READ NEXT
Drug baron who imported £1bn of cocaine found dead in prison cell
Meet the husband and wife team behind Sefton Park's coffee cart
Headteacher handed in retirement forms weeks before devastating diagnosis
Matalan launches bank holiday sale on summer garden essentials
