Man guilty of murdering his girlfriend's son in south west London
A former caretaker from south west London's been found guilty of killing his girlfriend's little boy after a campaign of sadistic abuse.
33 year old drug addict, Jake Drummond fatally shook and hit 15 month old Jacob Lennon in August 2019
In the weeks before Jacob died, the toddler suffered injuries to his face, body and genitals while his mother Louise Lennon failed to stop it, jurors were told.
Five days before the killing, Drummond sent her a sinister message saying he was putting Jacob into the "torture chamber" in reference to his bedroom.
The pair had denied wrongdoing and blamed each other for Jacob's horrific injuries.
Drummond denied that he injured Jacob and Lennon said she was being "coerced and threatened" by her boyfriend into not getting help for her son.
Following a trial at the Old Bailey, Drummond was found guilty of murder and wounding Jacob with intent.
Lennon, 32, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child having earlier admitted child cruelty.
The court heard Jacob had been placed under a child protection plan six months after he was born, but that a visit in the month he died was cancelled when his mum lied to social workers saying she was on holiday.
Thanking the jury, the senior judge said: "It's been a difficult case, I know, with a lot of distressing evidence for you to hear."
An NSPCC spokesperson said: "The marks found on the body of little Jacob tell a heart-rending tale of cruelty dominating a life cut brutally short by Drummond's cocaine-fuelled abuse.
"Jacob was utterly failed by those who should have been his protectors, and a child safeguarding practice review must leave no stone unturned in establishing whether more could have been done by agencies to protect him.
"We owe this little boy nothing less than a detailed investigation and a full explanation into the circumstances surrounding his tragic death."
Detective Chief Inspector Wayne Jolley, from Scotland Yard, said: "No-one who has listened to the catalogue of injuries inflicted on Jacob Lennon can be anything but horrified.
"It is hard to comprehend how such a young and vulnerable baby could have been so abused.
"Drummond and Lennon sought to cover up their guilt by blaming accidents or feigning ignorance of how he was injured. However, a jury saw through their attempts to avoid the blame and found them both accountable for Jacob's death.
"This case was very distressing and I would like to thank my team and all those who supported the prosecution for their professionalism and diligence. Everyone concerned has had to listen to some truly harrowing evidence, but we were determined to persevere and bring those responsible for Jacob's death to justice."
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