Dylan Tiffin-Brown murder: Social services 'failed to assess' boy

Dylan Tiffin-Brown was found unresponsive at a property on Arthur Street, Northampton, on 15 December 2017

Social services staff have admitted failing to carry out a planned assessment of a boy later killed by his father, a High Court judge said.

Raphael Kennedy, 31, from Northampton, was jailed for life in October for the murder of Dylan Tiffin-Brown.

The two-year-old suffered an "agonising" death in a "savage and sustained attack", a trial heard.

Mr Justice Keehan said Northamptonshire County Council did not undertake a planned assessment two months earlier.

• Killed boy deemed 'unlikely to be harmed'

• Crisis council leader 'stands firm' in job

• Secret case review 'must be published'

However, an assessment was being carried out at the time Dylan died, he said.

The judge at the Family Division of the High Court in London revealed the details while considering the care of an unnamed child related to Dylan.

Raphael Kennedy murdered his two-year-old son, Dylan Tiffin-Brown

Presenting a timetable of events leading up to the boy's death in December 2017, the judge said Dylan's mother had a "very chaotic and damaging childhood", and was "extremely vulnerable".

She had "introduced" her son to his father on 30 September 2017 after a DNA test revealed, contrary to her claims, that Kennedy was the father.

Three days later, Dylan then began spending nights at Kennedy's home.

A social worker assessment had been planned for October 2017 but never took place.

Two-year-old Dylan had five different types of drug in his body when he died, including cocaine and heroin

The boy had only known his father for 10 weeks before his death

The judge said Northamptonshire County Council acknowledged it "failed to undertake an assessment" of Dylan and his parents "as it had been determined at a meeting they should do".

He also said Kennedy had been arrested by police, while Dylan was in his care, about two months before the little boy's death.

On the evening before Dylan died Kennedy had contacted his former partner to say their boy was ill.

The judge said "very tragically" Dylan's mother "took no action".

The judge ruled the unnamed child should remain with foster carers.