Nurse 'kept up at night' by toddler's injuries

Ethan Ives-Griffiths died from a catastrophic brain injury in August 2021

A senior nurse says she was "kept up at night" by the "horrific" sight of a toddler who was allegedly murdered by his grandparents.

Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths died from a catastrophic head injury in August 2021.

Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, both of Garden City, Flintshire, are charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child, while Ethan's mother, 28-year-old Shannon Ives, of Mold, is charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

All three deny the charges.

Ethan was unconscious when he was taken from his grandparents' home to the Countess of Chester Hospital on 14 August 2021.

Stephanie Pearson, who was the senior sister on duty that night, became tearful as she told the trial at Mold Crown Court on Wednesday how the child was bruised, looked "extremely malnourished" and was "skin and bone" when he was handed over by paramedics.

"I have seen a lot of things in 20 years…this kept me up at night," she told the jury.

"He appeared a very, very frail young boy."

Ms Pearson also described her interactions with Shannon Ives, who told her Ethan was usually well and had not recently been hurt.

She told the jury Ms Ives had initially appeared tearful, but became "detached" to the situation and was "persistently" on her phone in the relatives room, texting, and concerned about not having a phone charger with her.

Ms Pearson continued: "It didn't seem right to me, I don't think she comprehended how sick Ethan was."

She said she remembered being "quite blunt" and telling Shannon Ives her son might die, to which she said she replied "oh".

Under cross examination from Ms Ives' defence barrister, Ms Pearson said it was "correct" to say that people in a state of shock behave in different ways, and accepted it was possible Shannon Ives had sat in a chair next to Ethan as he was being examined and treated, but added she did not remember seeing her do that.

The court also heard from another nurse who was part of the team waiting for Ethan's arrival at the hospital, after they were forewarned by paramedics about the seriousness of the case.

Meghan Burkey said Shannon Ives had stood at the end of bed where Ethan lay and, in response to a question from another nurse about his bruises, said they were a result of him learning to walk and being "accident prone."

Ms Burkey said she noticed Ethan's bones were "prominent" and he was "pale and malnourished" with "sunken" eyes.

She added Ms Ives told another medic that her son had fallen backwards while watching TV and his grandad had called an ambulance. She said she also heard her say he had collapsed the day before but had been revived with splashes of water.

Ms Burkey said when the decision was taken to transfer Ethan to Alder Hey Children's hospital in Liverpool, Ms Ives showed "no emotion".

"I didn't observe her touch Ethan or sit with him. I didn't see any outward emotion," she said.

Paediatric nurse Antonia Chadder said she had "never seen injuries like that on a child, and has never since".

Fighting back tears, she said Ethan had arrived unconscious and unable to breathe unaided, with bruising to the left side of his chin and he was very swollen around the face, with dried blood around his lips.

She told the jury she also saw bruising on the top of Ethan's foot which "looked as if it was from downward pressure rather than bump or graze".

"He seemed like a child that hadn't been looked after," she said.

"He had a pot belly you would see in very malnourished children. I see a lot of children who are ill and don't look like that."

She told the jury that as she and other medics examined Ethan's bruises, Shannon Ives told them he had got them from being unsteady on his feet while learning to walk.

"I thought that was odd due to his age," she said.

She added that Ms Ives was focused on her phone, and when she could go home.

Ms Chadder said Ms Ives also asked her if they were "going to find out what happened" and if she was "going to get into trouble".

Shannon Ives was "more interested in her mobile phone" than her son's condition, a jury was told

The court also heard statements from several Countess of Chester doctors who attended to Ethan that night, including a paediatric consultant Dr Rupert Ellis who said Ethan's admission had been a "very emotive situation" and it was thought they were dealing with "a non-accidental injury".

He said a CT scan found a subdural haematoma - a type of bleed on the brain - with both old and new blood present.

Dr Ellis said the team was told Ethan was on the child protection register and that he also reported his concerns to North Wales Police.

The jury previously heard from paramedics who attended Ethan's grandparents' address that evening, including Dewi Lloyd who described Ethan as "pale and gaunt" and looking "like a 90-year-old man" with his ribs visible, and three bruises on his left cheek like a "hand pattern".

He said he asked how they had come about and was told by a woman his colleague said was "the grandmother", that he was "accident prone".

Mr Lloyd said Shannon Ives travelled with them to hospital in the front of the ambulance but she did not "seem to grasp" how ill her son was.

"She was more interested in her mobile phone," he said.

He added he contacted social services and alerted North Wales Police.

His colleague, Andrew Andrews, told the court he had attended the Ives' house after receiving a red priority call.

Mr Andrews described finding Ethan lying on the floor of the living room, with his grandmother sitting above him on a sofa supporting his neck with her hand.

He said Ethan's eyes were open with a fixed gaze to the left, but that he was unresponsive.

He also noticed three bruises "of finger print size" to his left cheek and dried and fresh blood along his lip.

He described Kerry Ives' manner as "snappy and abrupt" as he went to do his checks on Ethan, commenting: "Oh, he is breathing."

The trial continues.