On 24 December 2020, a mother’s trip to town with her baby boy was captured on CCTV in various shops and market stalls.
Before dawn rose on Christmas Day, that same child would be dead and the footage of his final hours would be shown in court as his parents stood accused of killing him.
Stephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden, 22, were convicted on Friday of the “savage and brutal” murder of Finley Boden, a 10-month-old boy who spent much of his short life in care.
A five-week trial at Derby Crown Court heard how Finley had suffered a catalogue of “appalling” injuries, including 71 bruises on his body and 57 fractures, many inflicted shortly before he died.
Paramedics were called to the family’s home in Old Whittington, near Chesterfield, Derbyshire, on Christmas morning during the winter 2020 lockdown, just 39 days after he was returned to his parents’ care.
Police released footage, shown during the trial, of Marsden pushing Finley in his pushchair around Chesterfield town centre on Christmas Eve, and then later of Boden with the pram at a Tesco Express in Old Whittington, at 7.16pm.
It was the last time he was seen alive.
Child protection concerns meant Finley was originally removed from his parents’ care shortly after being born in February 2020. A report by the family’s social worker had recommended a six-month transition – three times longer than the eight-week period that was ordered at a court hearing concerning the child’s care.
Jurors heard that Finley had been returned gradually to the couple’s care over a period of eight weeks after a court order was issued in October 2020, despite social workers asking for a longer transition.
The court heard his parents were both cannabis smokers and Boden would prioritise sourcing cash to buy the drug over his son’s care.
During their evidence the couple, though each denied any wrongdoing, were never explicit in blaming each other for the fatal injuries caused by multiple episodes of blunt force trauma.
Jurors were also played a video showing Finley smiling and laughing on 25 October 2020, and displaying none of the tell-tale signs of the serious injuries found at post-mortem.
The couple’s home reflected a chaotic lifestyle and photographs show how on the bedside table were empty cans of energy drinks, cannabis and cigarette butts – despite Boden’s claims he never smoked in front of Finley.
There were also bottles of liquid paracetamol which the couple used to treat Finley’s discomfort, caused by the fractures and bruises all over his body, rather than taking him to a doctor.
