Mama and partner guilty of killing son inside bath

One mother and her partner go chill for prison afta one court find dem guilty of killing her nine-year-old son inside bath afta months of abuse.

Authorities find Alfie Steele body no dey respond wen dem reach im house for Droitwich, Worcestershire, for February 2021.

Coventry Crown Court find Dirk Howell, 41, guilty of killing di young boy and im mother, Carla Scott, dey convicted of manslaughter.

Jurors clear her of killing Alfie. Judge tell dem say, dem no go ever sit on any jury again.

Afta weeks of hearing horror details of wetin di nine-year-old take im eyes see for im final months, di jury discuss di mata of di verdict for 10 hours.

Alfie bin suffer wicked discipline punishment and bin get more dan 50 injuries on im body wem in die.

Im punishments include beatings, forced to stand outside and dumping im head first inside cold baths, Coventry Crown Court hear.

Social services also sabi di family – no be only sake of say Howell get court oder against am wey prevent am from staying for di house, wey im dey always break.

Neighbours also call police several times afta dem hear screaming and crying from inside di family house.

One safeguarding review go now torchlight wetin else dem for fit do to save Alfie.

Alfie grandfather Paul Scott read one family statement to reporters outside court.

“E dey full of serious sadness say we no go ever see dat same cheeky smile again,” im tok.

“Losing Alfie don leave us wit heavy emptiness for our lives. To tink say we no go fit hug am and watch am grow into successful young man dey cause us serious pain.

“We miss am so much.”

Dirk Howell and Carla Scott

BBC

Di court hear say emergency service land di house on Vashon Drive around 2:30pm on 18 February but paramedics bin no fit to revive him.

Although e no clear exactly wetin kill am, evidence strongly suggest say im die afta dem dump am inside freezing cold water.

Scott, aged 35 years, claim say Alfie sleep off as im dey enjoy warm bath. However, im injuries and low body temperature – 23C (73F) – tell different tori.

Di trial hear say Scott begin relationship wit Howell for 2019 and im discipline regime quickly increase during 2020, wen di kontri enta lockdown during Covid pandemic.

Jurors hear di worrying 999 calls from neighbours wey try to raise alarm, before Alfie eventually die from di brutal regime.

Some neighbours hear am dey sream as dem force am into di cold baths, and odas report say dem see am dey stand “like a statue” for night while Howell dey shout for am.

Im agree say im dey guilty of four counts of child cruelty, but Scott kontinu to claim say im dey innocent. As well as manslaughter, di jury convict her of child cruelty.

Alfie mama bin dey cry wem dem carry am go cell, but Howell, of Princip Drive, Aston, Birmingham, no show any visible emotion.

Alfie bin close to im grandfather Paul Scott - im mama papa

BBC
Alfie bin close to im grandfather Paul Scott – im mama papa

Outside court, Insp Leighton Harding say Alfie “suffer di most horrifying physical and emotional abuse” and e dey “unimaginable to consider di fear and distress wey im must feel during di events wey lead to im collapse”.

“Alfie suppose expect unconditional love and protection from Scott, but she deliberately neglect im needs, she choose to make her own needs and her relationship wit Howell priority, knowing di wicked treatment im dey give Alfie,” im add.

Det Ch Insp Harding say dem bin no refer di case to di Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), becos “e bin no meet di criteria,” despite officers contact wit di family.

“We of course dey committed to learn from dis sad case,” im add say, di force go comply wit di coming safeguarding review.

Stephen Eccleston, independent chair of Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership, say di team dey “shocked and sad by Alfie death”.

“On behalf of di partnership, I go like take dis opportunity to pass on our condolences to Alfie family.”

Im say dem go publish di review later dis year.

Judge Justice Mark Wall say Howell and Scott go get dia sentence on Thursday.