Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Chiara Fiorillo

Inside reeking house of horrors with vomit and drugs in bath where parents killed baby

The house where two killer parents beat their 10-month-old to death on Christmas Day while the country was on lockdown was "extremely dirty, smelly and very cluttered", a court heard.

Stephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden, 22, were convicted after a five-month trial at Derby Crown Court on Friday of killing 10-month-old Finley Boden just 39 days after he was placed back into their care.

In court, photographs were shown of the couple's cluttered home, including blood-stained items found by police inside, including a vomit and faeces-stained cot mattress cover, duvet cover, Mickey Mouse babygrow and a "Captain Cute" T-shirt.

The property in Holland Road, Old Whittington, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, also "smelt of cannabis", a paramedic said.

Stephen Boden has been found guilty at Derby Crown Court after the death of his son Finley (PA)
Shannon Marsden was also found guilty (PA)

Pictures taken inside the house show empty cans of energy drinks, cannabis, and cigarette butts on the bedside table - despite Boden's claims he never smoked in front of Finley.

There were also bottles of liquid paracetamol which the couple used to treat Finley's discomfort - symptoms of fractures and bruises all over his body - rather than taking him to a doctor.

On a nearby bedside stool was gone-off milk in a baby bottle, giving lie to Boden's trial claims that Finley was feeding normally before his death.

Finley Boden was killed on Christmas Day 2020 (Derbyshire Police)

In the couple's bathroom, pictures also showed a bathtub in which two bin liners full of cannabis were found, as well as a blood-stained babygrow.

At trial Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, described how Finley suffered a catalogue of dreadful injuries, including 71 bruises, some up to two weeks old, over his body and 57 fractures, many inflicted in the short period before his fatal collapse.

Finley had fractures to his collarbones and thighs, while his pelvis had been broken in two places, possibly from sustained "kicking or stamping", with injuries likened to a multi-storey fall.

Clutter in the kitchen at the home (PA)

He also had two burns on his left hand - one "from a hot, flat surface", the other probably "from a cigarette lighter flame".

Jurors heard Boden prioritised sourcing cash to buy and smoke cannabis over his son's care and also had a violent temper, smashing a door at home.

Texting a drug dealer about Finley two days before his son's death, he said: "I want to bounce him off the walls."

On a nearby bedside stool was gone-off milk in a baby bottle (Derbyshire Police)

Only hours after his son's death, Boden was heard telling Marsden at hospital he was going to sell Finley's pushchair "on eBay" - later telling police he only said this "in an effort to lighten the mood".

Marsden seemed at times in fear of Boden and on December 21, 2020, sent a text reading "tell them he'll kill me. He just tried... I will be dead. Not joking".

Visiting Finley's body in a hospital chapel of rest, she said: "His dad's battered him to death. I didn't protect him."

Liquid paracetamol which Shannon Marsden and Stephen Boden were using to treat Finley Boden's discomfort (PA)

But in the back of a police car hours after their son had died, they were both heard by officers chatting about Christmas dinner, while on Boxing Day, the couple were heard "laughing and joking" at a relative's home.

Ms Prior said they "remained in a relationship... until they were charged", breaching their own bail conditions to meet up, and were "in it together", having repeatedly lied to social workers, police and family.

A damaged door in the property (PA)

During their evidence the couple, though each denied any wrongdoing, were never explicit in blaming each other for the fatal injuries - multiple episodes of blunt force trauma.

Boden, of Romford Way in Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, and Marsden, of no fixed address, will be sentenced on May 26.

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.