A mum-of-nine and her boyfriend have been jailed for nearly 22 years for causing the death of her baby boy from a massive head injury.
Danny Shepherd, 26, was jailed for 13-and-a-half years on Tuesday and Katherine Cox, 33, was sent to prison for eight years.
Five-month-old Eli Cox was found to have 28 fractures all over his tiny body and had also been exposed to drugs, as well as suffering the catastrophic brain injury.
Shepherd and Katherine Cox, now of Faversham, Kent, denied causing or allowing the death of a child between April 12 and 28 last year and causing or allowing physical harm to a child.
They also denied possessing the Class B drug amphetamine on April 14, but a jury convicted them of all charges in August.
Eli suffered extensive brain damage consistent with shaking and caused by a prolonged period of insufficient oxygen to the brain.
It was suggested the injuries were inflicted on many different occasions leading up to the child’s collapse on Wednesday, April 13 last year.
He died two weeks later.
Shepherd, known as Pickle, and Cox were the only adults in the four bedroom house on the Isle of Sheppey, Kent, at the time of the collapse.
Jennifer Knight prosecuting said: “It was the actions of one of them that resulted in the catastrophic brain injury that Eli Cox suffered that day.
“The events of that day were clearly the unhappy culmination of injuries Eli Cox suffered on many occasions.
“There is a blatant and deliberate disregard for the welfare of the child by both defendants.”
Nadine Radford QC defending Shepherd told the judge: “Our instructions remain the same. He has dealt with the matter in the same way from beginning to end.
“He doesn’t accept any responsibility for it. He doesn’t accept any knowledge of the drugs found on his premises.”
The judge said it was an emotional trial and asked those in the packed public gallery to exercise restraint when the sentence passed.
Mr Justice Stuart-Smith said he sentenced Cox on the basis she did not take part in inflicting any injuries on Eli but was aware of the risk Shepherd posed by the time of the last harm on April 13.
He said of Shepherd: "Overall, he knows what he has done. It is not that he is not remorseful, he is not prepared to face up to what he has done."
Following the trial, Kent County Council confirmed it would carry out a Serious Case Review to establish if Eli's death could have been prevented.
A Kent County Council spokesman said: "The Serious Case Review was not scheduled to be undertaken before the end of the court case, and is unlikely to be completed before February at the earliest.
Both Cox and Shepherd denied being users of cocaine and amphetamine, despite hiding speed in their garden shed.
Kent Police Detective Chief Inspector Ivan Beasley said: "The death of a child is never anything less than tragic but the circumstances behind Eli Cox’s passing are especially upsetting for those of us who share a compassion for others.
"None of us will ever understand what compels people to cause harm to children, and it is unfortunately true to say that Eli suffered more than most and was robbed of his life before it had barely begun.
"Katherine Cox and Danny Shepherd maintained their innocence throughout but the jury saw through their lies.
"Only they know the true extent of the abuse Eli was put through, which is simply unthinkable to most members of society, including parents who would do anything to protect their children from harm.
"I strongly advise anyone who suspects a child is being neglected to call us.
Do you think Cox and Shepherd's sentences are tough enough? Let us know on Facebookand Twitter.
READ MORE:
Dad who punched his two-day-old baby to death murdered in his prison cell
Man who raped 12-year-old girl has been awarded joint custody of the child she conceived
Four-year-old girl filmed being abused on the dark web has been RESCUED