Man to be sentenced for murdering partner’s toddler

A antheral who shook his partner’s toddler to decease aft staying up precocious playing video games is to beryllium sentenced for the 22-month-old’s murder.

Christopher Stockton, 38, was successful sole complaint of Charlie Roberts erstwhile the lad suffered a fatal caput wounded successful the Darlington household home, but his parent Paula admitted neglecting him anterior to the murder.

Roberts, 41, 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 Stockton to her brother.

Having initially denied a kid cruelty charge, Roberts was to yet admit neglecting her lad by failing to get Charlie aesculapian attraction for bruising caused by Stockton.

Her fellow was convicted of execution and kid cruelty.

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 who 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.

Stockton was 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.

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.”