Maya Chappell death: Michael Daymond guilty of Shotton Colliery murder

Maya Chappell died in hospital two days after collapsing at her Shotton Colliery home

A man has been found guilty of murdering his new girlfriend's two-year-old daughter.

Michael Daymond, 27, inflicted fatal head injuries on Maya Chappell at their home in Shotton Colliery, County Durham, in September 2022.

Maya's mother, Dana Carr, 24, was found guilty at Teesside Crown Court of allowing her daughter's death, after prosecutors said she ignored warnings.

The couple, who had been together nine weeks, will be sentenced in December.

Michael Daymond had denied having any responsibility for Maya's death

The court had heard Daymond was the sole carer for Maya on 28 September, when she collapsed at their home on Milton Grove.

She died in hospital two days later, with pathologists saying she was killed by an "inflicted head injury" consistent with being forcefully shaken.

• The girl killed by her mother's new boyfriend

Concerned relatives reported seeing bruises on Maya in the weeks before her death and prosecutors said Carr ignored their warnings that Daymond might be hurting the girl.

Carr claimed she did not know of any abuse, but prosecutors said she turned a blind eye due to her "infatuation" with Daymond.

Her lawyers said the excuses he gave for injuries found on her daughter, such as having bruised her face while trying to stop her choking, were "not unreasonable" and Carr was "hoodwinked".

Dana Carr ignored warning signs that her daughter was being harmed

Det Supt Chris Barker of Durham Police, who led the investigation, said Maya was "defenceless" and "died at the hands of someone who should have been caring for her".

He said: "She was two years old and should have felt safe at home, learning, playing and having fun, but instead she lived in constant fear of what Michael Daymond was going to do to her next.

"She was too young to be able to tell anyone of her suffering and her mother Dana Carr who knew about the bruises but failed to act."

Mr Barker said Daymond's "cowardly unwillingness" to admit what he did meant it might never be known why he killed Maya.

"What we do know is Maya didn't deserve to die," the officer added.

Daymond declined to give evidence during the 12-day trial.

Both he and Carr were also found guilty of child cruelty after jurors spent more than four hours deliberating.