Footage shows the step dad of Alfie Steele threatening to burn down a neighbour's home after locals reported his "sadistic" attacks on the nine-year-old to the police.
Alfie died on February 18, 2021 after being found with 50 injuries all over his body, having been hit with a leather belt and "dunked" in the bath at his home in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
Dirk Howell, 41, was sentenced to 32 years in prison for murder while his girlfriend and Alfie's mum Carla Scott, 35, was given 27 years for manslaughter. Both were also convicted of child cruelty offences.
Justice Mark Wall branded the pair "sadistic" for their 18-month campaign of beatings and "excessive" punishments to Alfie, who was killed in a "violent and brutal" attack in the bath on February 18, 2021.
He had been regularly struck with belts, forced underwater in cold baths, deprived of food, and woken up in the middle of the night to be marched outside and doused in water.
Neighbours made a number of reports to police after being worried about the treatment that the couple were giving to Alfie.
But Howell would reportedly retaliate with threats and abuse to those he believed responsible for drawing the attention of the authorities to Scott's home; where he was staying against the orders of social services.
In early August 2020, a neighbour's Ring doorbell captured Scott approach their home, seemingly on the orders of Howell.
She looked off-screen and asked her boyfriend to "come down" and join her, but he barked back "knock the door", before instructing Scott to tell the occupant of the home: "Mind your own f***ing business."
Scott knocked on the door but there was no answer and she could also be seen pointing behind her, indicating that it could have been a different neighbour who had called the police on them.
As Scott walked off screen, Howell could be heard saying: "Little d*******s yeah, see what happens now (inaudible) burn your house."
A few days later a concerned resident made a chilling report to the police saying: "Hello, it sounds like my neighbours are being bad to their kid in the bath, like they are really hurting them."
She described banging and thrashing sounds as well as shouting and swearing in what was to be a harrowing precursor to the fatal attack on Alfie six months later.
Justice Wall said in court: "You, Howell, are a cruel man with a fiery and, at times, uncontrollable temper.
"The evidence revealed time and time again that anyone who crossed you was met with threats - such as that to burn down a neighbour's house when she reported you to the police about your conduct - or abuse - such as was suffered by the lady who confronted you about your behaviour in Sainsbury's when you were bawling.
He added: "You are a man who likes to control his environment and everyone in it. You do not brook dissent.
"This attitude I am sure explains your repeated use of wholly unacceptable violence on those who could not fight back. You are a bully. Coupled with that I am sure that you got pleasure from inflicting pain."
