A two-year-old boy was subjected to weeks of “distress, pain and misery” before suffering fatal injuries allegedly inflicted by his grandparents, a jury at Mold Crown Court has heard.
Ethan Ives-Griffiths died on 16 August 2021, two days after an ambulance was called to the family’s home in Deeside, Flintshire. His grandparents, Kerry Ives, 46, and her husband Michael, 47, are accused of his murder. Ethan’s mother, 28-year-old Shannon Ives, also stands accused alongside her parents of causing or allowing the toddler’s death, as well as child cruelty. All three deny the charges.
Opening the prosecution’s case, Caroline Rees KC described how Ethan and his mother had been living with her parents at the time of his death. Ms Rees told the jury the young boy’s short life at the home had been marked by neglect and abuse.
“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 said. “He was quiet and withdrawn, small and painfully thin.”
Jurors were told that medical experts concluded Ethan had suffered “casual brutality” and endured severe emotional and physical trauma in the days and weeks leading to his death. His condition, Ms Rees added, had been described by experts as one of “distress, pain and misery”.
On the night of 14 August, Ethan was reportedly downstairs in the company of his grandparents, while his mother was upstairs speaking on the phone. It was during this time, prosecutors claim, that the toddler sustained the injuries which ultimately led to his death.
“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,” Ms Rees said.
Kerry and Michael Ives told police Ethan had collapsed suddenly. However, prosecutors argue the couple immediately “entered a pact of silence” in an effort to conceal the truth.
“These two defendants immediately worked together as a team to hide what had really happened,” Ms Rees said. “Rather than admit their involvement, they chose instead to blame their own daughter.”
The court was told the grandparents accused Shannon Ives of being responsible for Ethan’s injuries. However, Ms Rees stated that while Shannon Ives may not have inflicted the injuries herself, she had failed to protect her son despite knowing he was at risk.
“She was aware her parents represented a significant risk of physical harm to Ethan but took no steps to protect her child,” Ms Rees told the jury.
During police interview, Ms Ives reportedly admitted she was afraid of her parents and had previously witnessed them shaking Ethan in anger. “She said she was petrified of her father in particular,” Ms Rees added.
The court also heard that following Ethan’s collapse, Kerry Ives delayed calling emergency services for almost 20 minutes, finally dialling 999 at 9.21pm. Ethan was first taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital before being transferred to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital for emergency brain surgery. Despite efforts to save him, he was pronounced dead at 6pm on 16 August.
Jurors were told that Ethan had suffered “serious, catastrophic head injuries”, was severely underweight, and bore multiple bruises. A post-mortem examination revealed he weighed just 10kg (22lbs) at the time of his death and had more than 40 external injuries.
Medical evidence presented to the court indicated that Ethan’s fatal head injury was likely caused by the deliberate application of force, possibly involving shaking. Further abdominal injuries consistent with blows were also found.
The jury was shown CCTV footage from outside the family home, recorded in the weeks prior to Ethan’s death. Ms Rees said the clips offered a harrowing glimpse into the toddler’s final days. In one video, Michael Ives was seen carrying Ethan by the top of his arm, “dangling him like a rag doll”, before appearing to strike him while placing him in a car.
Another clip showed the boy on a trampoline as Michael Ives positioned Ethan’s hands on his head—a method prosecutors say was used as a form of punishment.
“We say that footage can properly be described as harrowing, with a view into how traumatic the last weeks of Ethan’s life must have been,” Ms Rees told the jury.
Michael and Kerry Ives, of Kingsley Road, Garden City, deny murder, as well as alternative charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person under 16.
Shannon Ives, of Nant Garmon, Mold, denies causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person under 16.
The trial is expected to continue for six weeks. Proceedings will resume on Monday.
