Maya Chappell: Couple sentenced for death of toddler from County Durham
The two-year-old died from head injuries
Last updated 21st Dec 2023
A couple have been sentenced to over 29 years in prison between them for the death of a toddler from County Durham.
Two year-old Maya Chappell died in hospital two days after collapsing at her home in Shotton Colliery on the 28th of September last year.
Last month, a jury unanimously agreed that she was shaken to death by a man who was supposed to be caring for her.
They found 27 year-old Michael Daymond guilty of murder and child neglect and Maya's mum, 24 year-old Dana Carr, guilty of allowing the death of the youngster because she failed to raise the alarm despite seeing bruises on her daughter as well as child neglect.
Daymond was sentenced to life in prison, with a minimum of 20 years, while Carr was given a 9 year sentence.
The pair appeared at Teesside Crown Court today.
What the court heard
A three-week trial took place last month and the jury heard how Daymond spent the day supposedly caring for her on the afternoon of September 28, when Maya fell seriously ill at their home.
As paramedics and police carried out CPR, Daymond, who had rung Carr before dialling 999, was on the phone in another room concerned that his Universal Credit payments had been stopped.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Maya was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle but never regained consciousness and later died.
Maya died because of head injuries, which medical experts say could only have been caused by shaking.
The jury heard how Daymond and Carr, who have also been found guilty of child neglect, had only been dating for a matter of weeks when he moved in where Maya lived.
Soon after Daymond began looking after Maya while Carr was at work.
A significant number of bruises began to appear on Maya’s face and body, so the couple took her out of nursery so not to raise the alarm.
Family members raised concerns but were told that these were self-inflicted because Maya was nipping herself and walking into things.
Daymond, who did not give evidence at the trial, inflicted the injuries on Maya over several weeks when he was alone with her.
He would message Carr, 24, while she was at work with a series of lies to cover up his behaviour.
Despite being alerted to the situation, Carr did nothing to stop her daughter getting hurt, instead frequently telling Daymond she loved him and would not leave him.
She repeatedly lied to family members so not to raise the alarm and failed to mention the bruises, which would have been hidden by clothing when she took Maya to doctors with an ear infection.
Maya sustained fatal head injuries at some point during a four-hour period when the only person to see her was Daymond.
Speaking after they were found guilty last month, Detective Superintendent Chris Barker, of Durham Constabulary who led the investigation, said: "Maya Chappell died at the hands of someone who should have been caring for her.
“Maya was defenceless. 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.
“Daymond thought he could get away with causing her pain by feeding those around him repeated lies and excuses.
“Eventually he killed her. But his cowardly unwillingness to admit what he did means we may never know why he killed Maya or exactly what went on in the weeks leading up to her death.
“What we do know is Maya didn’t deserve to die... Sadly, nothing will bring Maya back."
An NSPCC spokesperson said:
“The brutality suffered by Maya Chappell at the hands of Daymond before she tragically died is shocking and deeply upsetting. It is difficult to comprehend how someone could do this a small child while the mother made no effort to protect her defenceless daughter from these violent attacks.
“Children are among the most vulnerable members of society and it is vital that anyone who has concerns for their safety or wellbeing speaks out immediately, either to the authorities or the NSPCC Helpline.”
Anyone who has any concerns about the welfare of a child should contact Durham Constabulary on 101, or 999 in an emergency; your local children’s social care team or the NSPCC.