Baby Finley had suffered more than 130 injuries, including burns and broken bones
The parents of a 10-month-old baby who died with more than 130 injuries have been found guilty of his death.
Stephen Boden, 29, and Shannon Marsden, 21, were arrested in December last year after baby Finley was found in Old Whittington, Derbyshire, on Christmas Day, 2020 – just 39 days after being returned from care.
He had over 130 injuries, including “multiple fractures and burns” and had sepsis and pneumonia.
Paramedics had been called to the address at 2.33 am after Finlay suffered a cardiac arrest at the property.
He was taken to hospital, but despite medics’ best efforts, he was pronounced dead at 3.45 am. His cause of death was given as multiple episodes of non-accidental blunt force trauma.
Boden and Marsden were accused of failing to seek medical attention for baby Finley Boden and “wilfully” assaulting the child.
The parents of a 10-month-old baby have been found guilty of his murder: https://t.co/sHK8dqSXoc pic.twitter.com/10HYtztKcS
— Derbyshire Police (@DerbysPolice) April 14, 2023
In February last year, they had both denied charges of murder, manslaughter, and causing or allowing the death of a child.
But following a five-week trial, a jury at Derby Crown Court found them both guilty of murder.
It took the jury just over a week to reach a verdict.
The BBC reports that Judge Mrs. Justice Tipples held back tears as she thanked the jury for their “extremely impressive” conduct throughout the trial.
As she spoke, at least four jury members were in tears.
The trial heard how a catalogue of errors led to Finlay’s death, with prosecutor Mary Prior KC describing how the baby had suffered “appalling” injuries.
He had suffered 71 bruises over his body and 57 fractures, many inflicted in the short period before his fatal collapse.
The court heard that the injuries included breaks to his collarbone, shoulder, shin, thigh bones, pelvis, and ribs in the days leading to his death, ITV News reports.
The collarbone break was suspected to have been caused by “kicking or stamping,” whilst two burns on Finlay’s hand appeared to have been caused by a “hot, flat surface” and a “cigarette lighter flame.”
Just hours after his death, Boden was heard telling Marsden in the hospital he planned to sell their son’s pushchair on eBay. He told police he had only said this in an effort to “lighten the mood.”
Later, Marsden visited Finley’s body in a hospital chapel of rest on 11 January 2021 and said: “His dad’s battered him to death. I didn’t protect him.”
Child protection concerns meant that Finlay had been removed from his parent’s care shortly after being born at the start of 2020.
But he was returned to the couple’s care over eight weeks by a court order in October 2020, despite social workers recommending a six-month transition.
A child safeguarding review into the circumstances surrounding Finley’s death is currently underway.
Marsden and Boden will be sentenced at a later date.
This article originally appeared on Joe UK.