Finley Boden: Baby's father inflicted fatal injuries - mother

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

The mother of a baby who died on Christmas Day told detectives the child's father inflicted his fatal injuries, a court has heard.

Shannon Marsden, 22, and Stephen Boden, 29, are accused of murdering 10-month-old Finley Boden in 2020, weeks after he was placed back in their care.

A post-mortem examination found 71 individual bruises on the baby as well as two burn marks.

He also suffered a number of fractures to his pelvis, shoulder and ankle.

Jurors at Derby Crown Court were read extracts from one of Miss Marsden's interviews with police, which were held after she was arrested on suspicion of murder.

The court heard she told police that Mr Boden mostly cared for Finley - bathing, feeding and changing him almost all the time.

She told the interviewer she had not noticed Finley's injuries, despite a post-mortem examination finding some of them dated back weeks before his death.

"I think it is technically my fault because I didn't see any injuries," she told detectives.

'Heavy' cannabis users

Jurors heard Miss Marsden "didn't really care" for Finley, with her saying she would prepare his clothes and feeds before Mr Boden took over.

When pressed on who injured the baby, despite initially saying she "didn't know", she later said: "Stephen did it."

She added: "Why would I want to hurt my own child?"

The court was told toxicology tests showed cannabis was found in Finley's blood, indicating that he must have inhaled smoke in the 24 hours before his death.

Both parents said they did not smoke cannabis inside the house, but blood tests showed them both to be "heavy regular users", the court heard.

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

The trial continues.