A tragic and disturbing case out of Wales has gone to trial, where two grandparents stand accused of murdering their 2-year-old grandson and treating him with what prosecutors described as “casual brutality.”
Michael and Kerry Ives, from Garden City in Flintshire, are facing multiple charges including murder and allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm after the death of little Ethan Ives Griffiths in August 2021. The trial began on June 4 at Mold Crown Court.
According to North Wales Police, the toddler was discovered severely underweight, bruised, and suffering from what experts described as “catastrophic” head injuries. Prosecutors allege that Ethan was not only mistreated by the adults in the home but that other children were encouraged to treat him cruelly under the guise of “play.”
The heartbreaking case reveals that Ethan had been living in the home with his mother, Shannon Kayleigh Ives, and other children during the summer of 2021. Shannon is also facing charges related to neglect but denies any wrongdoing.
Michael and Kerry Ives have reportedly attempted to shift the blame onto their daughter, but prosecutors argue the grandparents acted together to hide what happened. The court heard that on August 14, 2021, Ethan suffered his fatal injuries while alone downstairs with the grandparents as Shannon was upstairs on the phone. He died two days later in the hospital.
Paramedics were called to the scene but described a horrific picture — a toddler so malnourished and bruised that one said he resembled “a 90-year-old man.” Emergency responders noted his sunken chest and visible bleeding, while staff at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool confirmed signs of malnutrition and what appeared to be shaken baby syndrome, suggesting abusive head trauma.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees told the court that Kerry Ives delayed calling emergency services for nearly 20 minutes after Ethan collapsed, and that both grandparents later entered a “pact of silence” to conceal the truth.
Shannon Ives later told investigators that she was “petrified” of her father and had witnessed her parents “shaking Ethan in anger on many occasions.”
The trial continues on Monday, June 9. Authorities have not released any additional updates at this time.
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Author: thedailycrime1
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