Finley Boden: Texts shown in Christmas baby murder trial

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

A text from the phone of parents accused of the murder of their baby son, saying "I want to bounce him off the walls" has been shown in court.

The message was sent from the shared phone of Stephen Boden, 29, and Shannon Marsden, 22, days before their 10-month-old son's death, a court heard.

The pair are accused of killing Finley Boden in Old Whittington, near Chesterfield on Christmas Day 2020.

A jury heard Finley suffered a catalogue of "appalling" injuries.

The trial at Derby Crown Court has been told the pair jointly carried out the Christmas Day murder, after burning and beating him "in repeated acts of severe violence", and - to this day - remained "in it together".

On the second day of the trial, the court was shown text messages sent from the couple's shared mobile phone - with jurors told the author of each SMS was not always clear.

In one message from that handset to a contact saved as "Smokey J" at 12:39 GMT on 23 December 2020, the author said the "little one" had "kept me up all night".

The message added: "I want to bounce him off the walls. Haha".

'I need him at yours'

Finley died 39 days after he was returned to the couple due to a court order.

Prosecution barrister Sally Hobson said that before he was returned, internet searches were made on that phone for several news articles relating to parent-involved child deaths.

On the day Finley was returned to the couple's care, similar internet searches were carried out - and again on 7 December.

The phone was also used to search "does anyone know it there's a women's refuge" and "emergency housing, mum and kids, Chesterfield", the court heard.

Prosecutors told the jury that texts were sent by Miss Marsden asking for a relative to "please have the baby before Friday, make an excuse or something, please".

"I need him at yours, so I can do what I need to," the text said.

'He'll kill me'

On 21 December, days before Finley's fatal collapse, Miss Marsden is said to have messaged another relative saying: "Get the police to mine, tell them I'm scared of Stephen around the baby.

"He's just hit me again... tell them he'll kill me. He just tried.

"Please, I will be dead. Not joking."

Mr Boden, of Romford Way in Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, and Miss 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 continues.