Pair sentenced to at least 15 years over death of 4-month-old baby in Belper

A teenager from Derbyshire has been given a life sentence with a minimum term of 12 years in jail over the murder of a 4-month-old baby in Belper in 2022.

Carl Alesbrook, who was 16 at the time, was convicted of the murder of baby Elijah Shemwell at a property in Acorn Drive in Belper on 2nd January 2022.

The baby's mother, India Shemwell previously pleaded guilty to 2 counts of child neglect and has been sentenced to 3 years.

Now 23, and of Rose Hill Street in Derby, Shemwell was charged with two counts of cruelty to a person under 16 - one between 31st December 2021 and 1st January 2022, and the second on 2nd January 2022.

At about 10.50pm on the 2nd January 2022, emergency services were called to the flat after Elijah suffered a cardiac arrest. He was taken to hospital in a critical condition but died three days later.

A post-mortem examination found he had suffered significant injuries in the days leading to his death - with medical experts finding baby Elijah had been shaken.

The fatal shaking incident took police whilst Elijah's mother was out of the flat, and was left in the care of Alesbrook.

Alesbrook, who is now 19 pleaded not guilty to all charges, but in July a jury found him guilty of Elijah's murder.

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