Mother and ex-boyfriend jailed for life for murdering 18-month-old son in Kent
Alfie Phillips suffered more than 70 injuries in a caravan in Hernhill
Last updated 12th Jan 2024
A mother and her former partner have been jailed for life for the murder of her 18-month-old son in a night of "violent discipline" in a caravan home in Kent.
Alfie Phillips suffered 70 injuries to his body at the hands of his mother Sian Hedges and her ex-boyfriend Jack Benham, fuelled by whisky and cocaine in Benham's caravan in Hernhill, Kent, in November 2020.
The little boy died with a "myriad of bruises", broken ribs, arms and leg, and traces of cocaine in his body, on November 28 2020.
Hedges, who;s 27 and of Yelverton in Devon will serve a minimum of 19 years in jail, with Benham, who's 35 and of Hernhill, ordered to serve a minimum of 23 years in jail.
Jurors took nearly 10 hours to reach a unanimous guilty verdict at Maidstone Crown Court in November.
During the trial, Alfie was described as "good as gold" and "lively" by his father, Sam Phillips, who said there was "never a dull moment" with him and that he was always playing and laughing.
The court heard Benham admit that he and Hedges were drug addicts who would regularly take drugs around her son.
They began their relationship in about September 2020 after meeting at a mutual friend's house where they would buy drugs.
On the night before Alfie died, Benham said Hedges went to buy drugs from their friend and repay her £400 debt, and also get mixers and drinks for their evening together in the caravan.
The former Army man said the pair were drinking, chatting and watching YouTube videos that evening as "just normal".
But the prosecution said this was the time Alfie must have been violently assaulted.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC said: "It was all a lie, the truth is you and Sian were both present and involved in that assault, you and Sian both killed Alfie."
n a victim impact statement read in court, Alfie's father Sam Phillips said:
"After the trial we still feel we deserve answers. I will never know the truth about what happened to my son.
"I never got to hear him say his first proper words, I never got to have a conversation with him, I was robbed of the opportunity to see him grow up."
Will Bodiam from CPS South East said:
“This is an absolutely tragic case. Alfie was killed by the two people, one of whom was his own mother, who were responsible that night for looking after him and protecting him.
“Instead, they subjected him to series of assaults during the course of that fateful night, leaving him with devastating injuries that he could not survive.
“Rather than admitting what they had done, they both claimed they were not responsible for the injuries inflicted on Alfie, even though they were both present during the time the attacks took place and could not account for what had happened to him, acknowledging that just a few hours earlier, he appeared absolutely fine.”