Mikey Harrison: Man jailed for murder of 11-year-old son

Michael Harrison attacked his son but then drove him to a park before calling an ambulance

A man has been jailed for life for the murder of his 11-year-old son.

Mikey Harrison was found by emergency services in Thorpes Road, near Shipley Country Park, in Heanor, Derbyshire, on 18 June, and died later that day.

Michael Harrison initially claimed his son had fallen out of a tree, but later pleaded guilty to manslaughter, then admitted murder earlier this year.

At Derby Crown Court the 41-year-old was given a minimum term of 21 years and six months.

The court heard Mikey, rather than being hurt in a fall, was in fact injured in an attack four hours before the emergency call was made.

Harrison, of Eaton Terrace in Nottingham, put his son into his van before driving him to the park.

A medical expert said he would likely have survived severe internal bleeding had help been summoned immediately.

Harrison put his son in his van and drove him to Shipley Park as part of a cover story

The court was told Harrison went "crazy" and threw a chair before attacking his son, punching him and banging his head on a table.

A post-mortem examination found Mikey had suffered severe lacerations to his liver.

He had also suffered multiple blunt force injuries to his head, arms, back and legs.

The prosecution said Harrison had stripped their rented home in Heanor to destroy any evidence.

Selfish 'charade'

The court heard his son was described as a "sweet and funny" boy, with an infectious laugh, who loved dancing, singing and teddies.

Offering mitigation, defence barrister Vanessa Marshall KC said Harrison would have to bear the "awful, tragic, unforgivable" death of his son for the rest of his life.

Judge Shaun Smith KC said: "At 18 minutes past one on Saturday June 18 you embarked upon a charade solely intended to protect yourself.

"That was because you had attacked your 11-year-old son Mikey. You hit and punched him many times. At least one of those blows was so hard it lacerated his liver.

"Rather than face up to what you had done, you made a call to the ambulance service to report that Mikey had fallen out of a tree.

"What you did that morning ended the life of a little boy and emptied the lives of many others."

Tragic events

Harrison spent most of the two hour hearing leaned forward in his seat staring at the ground and shielding his face from the public gallery.

Det Insp Paul Bullock said: "Michael Harrison has never given an account for why he killed Mikey but his conduct on the day of the tragic events makes it abundantly clear that his primary interest was his own freedom and not the life of his own son.

"We now know the truth, that Mikey was killed by Harrison after a brutal assault that left him with the most serious of injuries.

"Harrison a strong, fully grown man would have been under no illusion that Mikey was anything other than seriously injured."