Mother and partner convicted over toddlers death

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A man has been found guilty of murdering his partner's three-year-old son after causing more than 20 rib fractures during weeks of "horrendous" beatings in West Bromwich.

Throughout the trial jurors heard the injuries required force similar to a car crash.

The youngster died from abdominal injuries on the afternoon of June 5 2018, after his ribcage was "crushed" at the couple's two-bedroom flat in West Bromwich.

Convicted drug dealer 32-year-old Nathaniel Pope from Wolverhampton was found unanimously guilty by a Birmingham Crown Court jury.

The court heard evidence that Kemarni Watson Darby's body, which had 34 separate areas of external injuries, had acted as a "silent witness" to his crime.

Kemarni's mother, 30-year-old Alicia Watson, from Handsworth in Birmingham, was cleared of murdering her son but found guilty of causing or allowing the child's death.

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.

Mrs Justice Tipples praised the "extremely impressive" jury for their "dedication and commitment" throughout the 65-day trial, as one juror openly wept, following delivery of the verdicts.

The judge herself became emotional as she further ordered the 10-member panel of five men and five women to be discharged from future jury service for life due to the "awful nature of the facts" they had had to consider over 20 weeks.

Watson, said to have a "zero to 100" temper, became angry while giving evidence, blaming Pope and claiming she only lived with him after her son's death because she doubted the medical evidence.

During the trial, it emerged she had bought cannabis and spent money on driving lessons as Kemarni lost his nursery place due to lack of funds.

Opening the case at the start of the trial, prosecutor Tony Badenoch QC said: "Post-mortem examinations revealed that Kemarni had sustained horrendous injuries both that day and on earlier occasions.

"The injuries were evident both externally and internally when a post-mortem examination was conducted.

"Amongst those injuries were multiple fractures to his skeleton, some of which would have required force akin to a road traffic accident or stamping.

"Both recent and non-recent injuries were found. There were multiple fractures to both the left and right side of his ribcage which could be dated historically into the hours and weeks preceding his death.

"At least four separate events caused the fractures. They included corner fractures, fracture lines, partial fractures and a complete transverse fracture."

Mr Badenoch added: "It was a mesenteric laceration which ultimately killed him as his abdominal internal structures were forced against his spine with force.

"In short, he died from abdominal trauma which was most likely caused by a blow."

During the trial, it emerged that an electrical wire had been used to "lock" a bedroom door at the flat.

After the jury heard evidence from both defendants, family members, a nursery teacher and a social worker, Mr Badenoch used his closing speech to describe the murder as the brutal killing of an utterly defenceless victim.

The prosecutor added the couple had given no explanation for injuries found on Kemarni's head, mouth, neck, arms, chest, abdomen, back and legs, other than accidents involving prams and doorframes.

Mr Badenoch said of Kemarni: "Although he lost his life in the most horrendous way, he had a voice in this courtroom.

"He was also a witness in this courtroom, the most important witness - the silent witness.

"It is Kemarni's body that spoke the loudest, with the most clarity, in this courtroom."

Both will be sentenced at a later date.

NSPCC statement

An NSPCC spokesperson said: “Kemarni Watson Darby’s short life saw him suffer violence and cruelty at the hands of people who should have been protecting and nurturing him. These verdicts mark the conclusion of another tragic case of child abuse which will have shocked both his community and wider society.

“At terrible, upsetting moments like this it is important to remember that child abuse can be prevented, and we all have a role to play in keeping children safe. It requires leadership and a commitment to safeguarding at a national and local level. We also urge anyone who has concerns for the wellbeing of a child to immediately contact the relevant authorities or the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000.”