The 10-month-old was found to have suffered more than 130 injuries before his death on Christmas Day
Finley Boden who died on Christmas Day after being murdered by his parents (Image: PA/ Derbyshire Police)
A couple who beat and burned their 10-month-old son to death on Christmas Day were locked up after being found to have broken nearly every bone in his body. The case, which the detective in charge called the “worst” he’d seen in a three-decade-long career, saw Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden murder their young son back in 2020.
The couple were found to have given young Finley Boden more than 130 injuries leading up to his death, having only been returned to their care a month earlier. At their trial at Derby Crown Court, the court heard how the baby boy was subjected to “significant, substantial and repeated acts of severe violence” before his death, having received 71 bruises, two burns, including one from a cigarette lighter and 57 fractures. Many of the injuries are thought to have come from Boden, 30, and Marsden, 22, “kicking” and “stamping” on Finley.
Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden (Image: PA/ Derbyshire Police )
Judge Mrs Justice Tipples told the court how the pair had subjected their son to “unimaginable cruelty”.
She added: “Once the injuries had been inflicted, Finley’s daily experience was one of considerable pain, distress and suffering.”
“No one heard Finley cry or scream in pain because you inflicted the injuries on him together, with one of you fracturing his bone and the other keeping him quiet with your hand over his mouth.”
In another shocking turn, when it became clear Finley was dying, the pair chose to ignore their child and didn’t take him to the hospital.
After weeks of persistent abuse that caused the 10-month-old to have every bone in his body broken, Finley was found unresponsive by police at their family home in Old Whittington in Chesterfield at 2.47am on Christmas Day.
In a sick and twisted statement, the court heard how only hours after finding out Finlay had died, Boden joked about putting the baby’s pushchair on eBay.
Stephen Boden holding his baby son, Finley (Image: PA/ Derbyshire Police)
One later probed by police, the disgusting statement, Boden claimed he was “trying to lighten the mood”.
The court also heard how Boden would prioritise her drug use over the care of her son, even telling her drug dealer she wanted to “bounce him off the walls,” just two days before his death.
At the trial, the pair both pleaded not guilty, and after five months in court, jurors eventually convicted them of all counts of murder and child cruelty.
The judge then sentenced the pair to life sentences, where Boden must serve a minimum of 29 years, while Marsden must serve a minimum of 27 years.
Derbyshire Police’s detective inspector Paul Bullock said the case was one of the worst he had seen in his nearly three-decade-long career.
Prosecutor Mary Prior KC said for nine months of his life, Finley was a “fit and happy” young boy; however, things changed when, during Covid, the parents requested to have custody, and a family court ruled he should be returned to his parents within eight weeks.
Following the end of the trial, Derbyshire County Council expressed its “heartfelt sympathy” to those who knew and loved Finley. The child services department also admitted it had “missed opportunities”.
Carol Cammiss, executive director for children’s services, said: “Finley’s death was a tragedy for everyone who knew him and everyone involved in his care.
“Despite the significant Covid restrictions placed on our work at the time, we know there were missed opportunities for stronger practice, and we apologise for that.
“We did not wait for the outcome of this review – we took immediate action to review and strengthen our systems and continue to monitor the way we work with babies and families.”
