A jury has been told how little Ethan Ives-Griffiths was the object of “abuse and neglect” and treated with “casual brutality” by those who were meant to care for him
A two-year-old boy died from a “catastrophic head injury” sustained while in the care of his grandparents and allegedly spent his final weeks in pain and misery, a court has heard.
“Painfully thin” Ethan Ives-Griffiths was “thoroughly miserable”, the object of “abuse and neglect”, and treated with “casual brutality” by those who were meant to care for him, a jury heard. The toddler died in August 2021 after collapsing at the home his mum, Shannon Ives, 28, shared with her parents Michael and Kerry Ives. Michael, 47, and Kerry, 46, both deny murder. All three deny causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person under 16.
At Mold crown court Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC, told the jury Ethan would have experienced pain and misery in the weeks before he died. He was severely underweight, weighing just 10kg, and covered in bruises. A post mortem carried out after he died found 40 injuries on his body, although no fractures were found.
Ms Rees told the court he died from fatal head injuries from a deliberate blow and a forceful shaking injury. On the day the youngster collapsed Ethan was in the lounge with his grandparents while his mum was upstairs on her phone to a pal.
The prosecution said it was either Michael or Kerry who were responsible for the deliberate assault which led to his death. Neither offered a “plausible explanation” Ms Rees added.
She said the attack was the “culmination of emotional and physical abuse on him by the people who should have cared for him most.” The jury was told the grandparents entered a “pact of silence into what they did to Ethan that night”, adding “they both had something serious to hide”.
The court heard on the day of August 14, 2021, Ethan had spent the day with his grandparents at their home in Garden City, Flintshire, North Wales. The jury heard Kerry Ives called an ambulance at 9.20pm – but she had allegedly delayed the 999 call by 18 minutes, first ringing her daughter.
Ms Rees said this was “potentially significant” asking why delay when it was clear Ethan was in a “desperate state”. She said: “Was this delay an opportunity to get their story straight?”
When paramedics arrived Ethan was on the floor. A paramedic noted he looked emaciated and had three bruises in a hand shape. The court heard one said: “He looked like a 90-year-old man with dark recessed eyes and gaunt.”
After the child was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital his grandmother told a medic he was “accident prone”. His grandad told police Ethan had collapsed the day previously but he had brought him round. He said on August 14, the youngster had “suddenly fallen backwards” but he caught him.
The prosecution said both the grandparents “lied”. They said “neither grandparent offered any explanation of the catastrophic head and brain injury” and this was a “deliberate decision”. She said: “This was a calculated decision not to tell the police the truth to protect themselves and each other.”
When he arrived at hospital a CT scan found bleeding on the brain. When his mum Shannon was told he was unlikely to survive she cried, the court heard. Ethan was pronounced dead on August 16, 2021, aged two years, three months.
The jury was told an expert concluded the injuries were “consistent with shaken baby syndrome” with retinal injuries and non-accidental head injuries. They were also shown brief CCTV footage from outside the house which the prosecution said “shines a light on the abuse and neglect suffered by Ethan”.
The prosecution said the “harrowing” footage from the garden showed Michael Ives treating the youngster roughly and dragging him around “like a rag doll”. When the grandparents were interviewed by police both grandparents said Ethan was a child “who would fall over fresh air” and was “clumsy”.
Prosecutor Ms Rees told the court experts found there had probably been repeated assaults and a “sad likelihood” was that the last injury was “beyond survivable”.
The trial is expected to last six weeks.