Evil stepdad Chris Stockton who shook baby to death then tried to blame biscuit jailed for life

Christopher Stockton was successful sole complaint of small Charlie Roberts erstwhile the lad suffered a fatal caput wounded successful the Darlington household home. Charlie's mum Paula was suspicious capable astir Stockton that she acceptable up a spy camera supra her son’s cot

A antheral who shook oregon threw his partner’s 22-month-old lad erstwhile helium "snapped" aft staying up precocious playing video games has been jailed for life.

Christopher Stockton was successful sole complaint of small Charlie Roberts erstwhile the lad suffered a fatal caput wounded successful the Darlington household home. Charlie's mum Paula was suspicious capable astir Stockton that she acceptable up a spy camera supra her son’s cot, a proceedings astatine Teesside Crown Court heard successful December. But she stayed successful a narration with him, adjacent aft she voiced her concerns astir him to her brother.

Having initially denied a kid cruelty charge, the 41-year-old mum yet admitted neglecting her lad by failing to get Charlie aesculapian attraction for bruising caused by Stockton. Today, her 38-year-old fellow was convicted of execution and kid cruelty and was sentenced to a minimum word of 25 years.

The tot's mum Roberts was jailed for 4 years for neglect.

Stockton, who had moved successful with Roberts and her small lad conscionable 7 days earlier, was successful sole complaint of Charlie erstwhile helium inflicted a terrible caput wounded which caused wide bleeding connected the encephalon successful January 2024. Nicholas Lumley KC, prosecuting, told jurors that Stockton “shook oregon threw him with specified violence, deliberately and forcefully harming small Charlie”.

Roberts had near the location minutes earlier to spell for an oculus test, and Stockton, who was disconnected enactment sick and had stayed up into the aboriginal hours playing Xbox games, indispensable person snapped that January morning, the tribunal was told.

Stockton rang 999 and could beryllium heard connected a signaling repeatedly saying “come connected mate” and “wakey wakey” to the small boy, who was not breathing. He went connected to archer paramedics, doctors and the constabulary that Charlie had choked connected a biscuit and that helium patted the kid connected the backmost and stuck his fingers down the toddler’s throat. The toddler died successful infirmary the adjacent day.

Jamie Hill KC, defending Stockton, told the tribunal connected Friday that helium had nary erstwhile convictions, the execution was not premeditated and determination was nary volition to kill. Richard Herrmann, defending Roberts, said she had struggled with intelligence wellness issues. She wept arsenic Mr Herrmann said: “She has to unrecorded with the cognition that had she acted otherwise it would not person happened.”

Mr Lumley said Charlie’s begetter and 2 grandfathers had written statements for the tribunal astir their consciousness of loss, but each 3 did not privation them work retired successful public.

After Stockton’s conviction, Charlie’s dada Barry Greenwell said: “Charlie was a much-loved lad and grandson who has been taken distant needlessly and has near the full household with a void that volition ne'er beryllium filled. As a household we are processing the caller events and are trying to travel to presumption with the verdict and accusation fixed that has been profoundly disturbing to ourselves.”

Detective Superintendent Chris Barker, who led the inquiry, said: “To instal a spy camera arsenic Paula Roberts did, means determination indispensable person been concerns astir him. If you person concerns astir those caring for your children, you indispensable act, talk retired oregon inquire for help. Charlie had everything to unrecorded for, but his beingness was cruelly chopped short.”