A toddler endured a 70 separate injuries and had traces of cocaine in his system before he died, a murder trial has heard.
Alfie Phillip’s mother Sian Hedges, 27, and her former partner, Jack Benham, 35, stand accused of the 18-month-old’s murder – an accusation they boyh deny.
Maidstone Crown Court heard that Alfie died after spending a night with the pair in a caravan in Kent during the 2020 Covid lockdown.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC said: “It is clear that Alfie was deliberately injured on more than one occasion, culminating in an assault perpetrated during the night that led to his death.”
The pair allegedly subjected the toddler to a relentless assault or a series of attacks, ultimately leading to his untimely death, jurors heard.
During the prosecution opening, Ms Knight said on the evening of November 27, 2020, Alfie had been observed “well and without injuries” by members of Benham’s family.
However, when he was taken back to a caravan owned by Benham in Hernhill, near Faversham, Alfie was not seen by anyone other than Benham and Hedges until shortly before 11.30am the next day.
At this point, Benham was spotted carrying Alfie in his arms, described as “blue and floppy” with no signs of breathing.
Ms Knight added: “It was immediately apparent to them that Alfie had been dead for some time.
“[The paramedic] noticed rigor mortis, hypostasis and post-mortem staining.
“Alfie’s arm was above his head. He also noticed bruises all over his face and behind the ear.
“Benham came into the room and said Alfie had been grumpy, so they took him into bed with them and when they woke [they found] Alfie trapped under his legs, and they couldn’t wake him.”
Alfie was transported to the QEQM Hospital in Margate, where he was pronounced dead at 12:35pm.
A pathologist who carried out a post-mortem examination found 31 injuries on his head and neck, 11 on his arms, 17 on his legs, and another 11 on his torso.
The prosecutor said: “A skeletal survey and post-mortem examinations revealed that Alfie had multiple injuries and fractures to several ribs and his sternum, both arms, his left and right big toe.”
Meanwhile, toxicology reports from his blood and urine found “low concentrations of cocaine and a metabolite of cocaine”, the jury was told.
Ms Knight added: “These levels would not have arisen from ingestion of a large quantity of cocaine prior to death.”
Doctors suggest the traces in Alfie’s blood could be from passive inhalation of crack cocaine or from external contact with the drug.
Ms Knight said that during police interviews the pair admitted taking cocaine, and both had been drinking while Alfie was asleep in the caravan.
She told the court: “Had either defendant not been joining in with the assaults, that defendant, who was not part of it, would have stopped the attack and removed Alfie Phillips from the caravan, and from the presence of the other who was carrying out these attacks.
“The fact that this did not happen can only be because both defendants agreed that the assaults should take place… they both agreed in meting out some sort of aggressive, violent ‘discipline’ to Alfie that night which resulted in his death.”
The trial continues.
