Mother and partner jailed over toddlers death
Kemarni Watson Darby died from abdominal injuries in June 2018 in West Bromwich
Last updated 24th May 2022
A man has been jailed for life for the murder of his partner's son.
Three-year-old Kemarni Watson Darby died from abdominal injuries in June 2018 in West Brom.
32-year-old Nathaniel Pope from Wolverhampton will spend a minimum of 24 years behind bars.
Kemarni's mum Alicia Watson, from Handsworth in Birmingham, was sentenced to 11 years for causing or allowing the death of a child.
Two thirds of her sentence will be served in prison, and the other third will be served as community service.
The court heard evidence that Kemarni Watson Darby's body had 34 separate areas of external injuries.
The four-month trial was told Watson and Pope - who blamed each other from the witness box - were "partners in crime" and continued to live together for several months after Kemarni's death.
The pair were also convicted of a single court each of child cruelty to Kemarni between May 1 and June 5 2018, relating to the infliction of rib fractures and an abdominal injury prior to the fatal injury.
The pair were also separately convicted of two further counts of child cruelty in relation to other children.
An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Kemarni Watson Darby’s short life was brutally ended by the cruelty and violence inflicted upon him in his own home by a man who should have been protecting and nurturing him. His mother, at the very least, devastatingly failed to protect him.
“Our hearts go out to those who loved and cared for this little boy during his life. It is vital that any learnings from the Child Safeguarding Practice Review are wholly taken onboard by those involved in children’s lives, so we can all work together to prevent such tragedies happening in the future.”