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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
National
Annabal Bagdi & Ryan Merrifield

Kemarni Watson Darby: Chilling 999 call mum made after boyfriend murdered son in flat

A mum's chilling 999 call made after her boyfriend murdered her three-year-old son has been released.

Alicia Watson left toddler Kemarni Watson Darby with her then-partner Nathaniel Pope at the family home in a tower block in West Bromwich, West Midlands, before popping out to the doctors.

On returning to Stanton House in Beaconview Road she found the "lifeless" body of her little tot on the sofa, with one arm hanging off.

The innocent boy later died from abdominal injuries after being attacked by stepdad Pope.

In the horrifyingly and spine-tingling emergency call made by the mum ad released by police, she can be heard saying: "He’s three-years-old, he’s not responding."

Kemarni's cruel stepdad Pope was today convicted at Birmingham Crown Court of murdering the boy.

Kemarni was left alone with his killer while his mum went to the doctors (BPM Media)

In the call, Watson can be heard telling the operator her son is "not responding" and is "breathing quiet".

She sounds upset as she repeats to the call handler that Kemarni is not responding on June 5, 2018.

During the trial, Watson told jurors Kemarni was sitting on the sofa and watching television before falling asleep on the day he died.

He woke up just as she was preparing to leave him in the flat with Pope and she realised "something was wrong" when she returned.

Custody photos of Alicia Watson and Nathaniel Pope (PA)

Watson said: "I went straight to Kemarni.

"He was lying on the settee, with one arm hanging off, like staring into space.

"I went to him and rubbed his back, I said his name three times.

"I was just confused. I was thinking 'what the f*** is happening?'

"He was struggling to breathe, he was making a weird noise. His eyes were rolling back and he was just floppy.

The toddler was described as 'boisterous' (BPM MEDIA)
Mum Alicia Watson had left the tot watching TV (BPM MEDIA)

"I never thought I would lose my child that day."

Pope began doing chest compressions on Kemarni, who started to bring up vomit, before paramedics arrived.

Watson added: "Every time Kemarni was sick, Pope took [the vomit] in his mouth and spat it out."

Pope performed CPR as paramedics rushed to the scene (birminghammail.co.uk)

Paramedic Ian Swindells told the trial he was called to the flat after reports a child had gone into cardiac arrest.

He found Kemarni lying on his back on the floor of the flat as his "hysterical" mother carried out CPR.

Watson was "quite upset" while a man - who the prosecution claimed was Pope - was "just sitting" on a chair near to the boy.

The paramedic said he soon realised Kemarni was not breathing and his heart had stopped beating - therefore prompting him to rush the child to Sandwell General Hospital.

Kemarni was later sadly pronounced dead by medics.

The toddler was rushed to hospital where he died (BPM Media)
Alicia Watson called paramedics to the Beacon View Road flat she shared with Nathaniel Pope on June 5, 2018 (West Midlands Police / SWNS)

Watson, 30, from Handsworth, and Pope, 32, from Wolverhampton, denied murder and multiple child cruelty charges.

But jurors found Pope guilty of murder and a string of child cruelty offences.

Watson was found not guilty of murder, but guilty on an additional change of allowing the death of a child.

She was also found guilty of all child cruelty offences.

Kemarni with an injury to his right eye before his death (West Midlands Police / SWNS)

The 999 call transcript

Call handler: “Ambulance service, is the patient breathing?”

Watson: “Um yeah but he’s not responding to me, he’s three.”

Call handler: “He’s three? He’s three-years-old?”

Watson: “He’s three-years-old, he’s not responding.”

Call handler: “He’s not responding?”

Watson: “He’s not responding, no. I went to the doctors this morning, I’ve come back home, he’s not responding to me.”

Call handler: “Ok, is his breathing noisy or quiet?”

Watson: “He’s breathing quiet.”

Call handler: “His breathing’s quiet, and he’s three-years-old?”

Watson: “Yeah.”

Call handler: “Just stay calm for me, we’ve got the help arranged, what’s the address?”

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