Man accused of murder admits he neglected grandson

Ethan Ives-Griffiths died from a severe head injury in August 2021

A grandfather accused of murdering his two-year-old grandson has admitted he "should have done more" to help him, a court has heard.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths died from a severe head injury in Garden City in Flintshire in 2021.

Grandparents Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, deny his murder and they along with their daughter Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, deny causing or allowing his death and child cruelty.

Speaking from the witness box at Mold Crown Court, Mr Ives accepted he neglected Ethan and could have contacted a social worker or taken him to the doctor's to get him checked.

Prosecutor Caroline Rees asked Mr Ives, who is originally from Wolverhampton, West Midlands, how it felt to see Ethan "slide into decline as a skeletal little boy" in the days before his death.

She added that Ethan was "so dehydrated he would have died within a couple of days".

Mr Ives replied that it made him feel sick.

He also said he regretted carrying Ethan by lifting him up only by his upper arm as shown on the family's CCTV camera, but he repeatedly denied hitting Ethan or being responsible for his death.

Ms Rees referred to a comment in a text by Kerry Ives about him where she said she had "his back".

Mr Ives was asked if Kerry "had his back" in relation to killing Ethan, and whether he and Kerry were "covering for each other for what went on behind closed doors".

He refused that to be the case, and denied ever hitting or shaking Ethan that day.

It was suggested to him that Ethan "just collapsed out of nowhere" on 14 August, and Mr Ives agreed.

He denied treating Ethan with a "brutal discipline regime", and insisted he loved him.

The jury re-watched CCTV footage which showed Ethan on a trampoline with other children, with Michael Ives watching them

Mr Ives was was asked about his mental health during 2021 and said he suffered from "low moods".

Ms Rees said: "Did you target Ethan, taking out whatever was going on with you on that little boy?"

"No," he replied.

The jury re-watched CCTV footage of Ethan left lying helpless on a trampoline with older children bouncing around him while Michael Ives looked on.

Mr Ives can be seen gesturing with a closed fist to one child who then hits Ethan several times in the head.

Ethan is then picked up and carried by Mr Ives by his upper arm as if, the prosecution barrister said, he was "a bag of rubbish".

Asked how we felt watching those images Mr Ives said he was "ashamed" and "disgusted with myself".

He said that was the first time he had picked Ethan up in that way and denied punching Ethan as he put him in a car seat.

He said he did not know why Ethan died, adding "nothing" happened on 14 August which he believed led to his grandson's death.

He said he did not shake or hit him and that he and his wife did not arrange to cover for each other after Ethan fell unconscious.

The trial continues.