Finley Boden: Baby suffered 'savage' Christmas Day death

Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden are standing trial at Derby Crown Court

A mother and father carried out the "savage and brutal" Christmas Day murder of their baby son after burning and beating him, a court has been told.

Stephen Boden, 29, and Shannon Marsden, 22, are accused of killing 10-month-old Finley Boden during the 2020 Covid lockdown.

He died 39 days after he was placed back into their care, the court heard.

Mary Prior KC said Finley suffered a catalogue of "appalling" injuries, including 57 breaks and 71 bruises.

Opening the case for the prosecution on Wednesday at Derby Crown Court, Ms Prior said Finley's pelvis was broken in two places, possibly from sustained "kicking or stamping" inflicted shortly before his fatal collapse.

The youngster also had two burns on his left hand, one a contact burn "from a hot, flat surface", the other probably "from a cigarette lighter flame", she said.

'In it together'

Finley's cause of death was given as multiple episodes of non-accidental blunt force trauma, the court was told.

Ms Prior alleged "self-centred" Mr Boden and Miss Marsden were "in it together", saying the couple prioritised getting money to spend on cannabis over their baby's care.

Paramedics were called to Old Whittington, near Chesterfield at 02:33 GMT on Christmas Day, finding Miss Marsden "upset and screaming" and the child without a pulse.

He was taken to hospital but was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Mr Boden was later heard telling Miss Marsden at hospital he was going to sell Finley's pushchair "on eBay" - but later told police he only said it "in an effort to lighten the mood".

'I didn't protect him'

After Finley's death, Mr Boden allegedly later told a relative "Finley had been crying and crying, so in his words he, 'Shook him a little bit'," Ms Prior said.

She said Miss Marsden, visiting Finley's body in a hospital chapel of rest on 11 January 2021, said: "His dad's battered him to death. I didn't protect him."

After they were arrested and bailed with conditions not to see each other, Mr Boden and Miss Marsden were seen by social workers in a park on 31 January, the court heard.

Boden, of Romford Way in Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, and Marsden, of no fixed address, deny murder, two counts of child cruelty, and two charges of causing or allowing the death of a child.

The trial, which is expected to last at least six weeks, continues.