Toddler ‘beaten to death by grandparents’ while mum was upstairs on her phone

A toddler was allegedly beaten to death by his grandparents while his mum was upstairs on her phone.

Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, both of Garden City, Flintshire, are charged with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child after their grandson Ethan Ives-Griffiths died from “catastrophic” head injuries at their home in North Wales. Ethan’s mother, Shannon Ives, 28, of Mold, is charged with causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child. All three deny the charges.

The couple had chosen to “blame their own daughter” and entered a pact of “silence” following his death, Mold Crown Court heard. But Ethan’s mother was upstairs using her mobile at the time he suffered the fatal injuries. The prosecution agreed that she was not responsible for the brutal beating in August 2021.

During the murder trial on June 9, the court heard how the two-year-old was placed on the child protection register a month before his death. Jurors heard how social workers had informed his mother that he would need to be seen every ten days. He was placed on the register on July 6.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths was described as being “severely underweight and covered in bruises” when he was found injured at the family home on August 16. Caroline Rees KC earlier said: “The prosecution say Ethan’s time at the first and second defendants’ home was thoroughly miserable and he was targeted by the defendants as an object of abuse and neglect.”

She added: “He was quiet and withdrawn, small and painfully thin.” She said the toddler was exposed to “casual brutality” and, according to a medical expert, would have experienced “distress, pain and misery in the days and weeks prior to his death”.

Ms Rees said: “The prosecution say what must have been a forceful attack on Ethan that night was the culmination of physical and emotional neglect and abuse upon him by those who should have cared for him the most.”

Both Michael and Kerry Ives told police their grandson had collapsed suddenly. Ms Rees said: “The prosecution say these two defendants entered a pact of silence as to what they did to Ethan that night, immediately working together as a team of two to conceal the truth about the reason for his fatal collapse.”

Ms Rees said Shannon Ives was aware her parents “represented a significant risk of physical harm” but “took no steps to protect her child”. In an interview, she said she was scared of her parents and knew them to be abusive, the court heard.

Ms Rees said: “She had seen them shaking Ethan in anger on many occasions. She said she was petrified of her father in particular.” The court heard Kerry Ives delayed calling 999 for almost 20 minutes after Ethan’s collapse, before making the call at 9.21pm. Ethan was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital and then transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for brain surgery, but was pronounced dead at 6pm on August 16.

The trial continues.