Stepdad who murdered toddler after all-nighter playing Xbox jailed for 25 years

A stepdad who murdered his partner’s one-year-old lad past tried to assertion helium choked to decease connected a hobnob has been jailed for astatine slightest 25 years.

Christopher Stockton, 38, had lone been near unsocial with Charlie Roberts for 20 minutes portion the toddler’s mum Paula Roberts, 41, popped retired for an oculus trial connected January 12 past year.

Their proceedings astatine Teesside Crown Court heard she was truthful disquieted astir Stockton that she had acceptable up a spy camera supra Charlie’s cot astatine their location successful Darlington.

But speech from telling her member she was concerned, she did thing to assistance her lad and yet pleaded blameworthy to a complaint of neglect. She is besides being sentenced.

Jurors heard Stockton mislaid his temper with Charlie successful a 20-minute model betwixt Roberts leaving and his 999 call.

Stockton could beryllium heard connected a signaling repeatedly saying ‘come connected mate’ and ‘wakey wakey’ to the small boy, who was not breathing.

He 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.

Stockton was disconnected sick from enactment that time and had stayed up into the aboriginal hours playing Xbox games.

He had lone moved successful with Roberts and her lad 7 days earlier sidesplitting him.

But the tribunal was told Charlie had been suffering unexplained bruises for months earlier helium died.

Roberts pleaded blameworthy to neglect during the trial.

She admitted failing to question aesculapian assistance for her small lad successful December and January aft helium suffered injuries to his backstage parts and to his ear.

Social services were acrophobic astir the small boy’s payment astatine location with his parent aft helium was taken to infirmary successful May 2023 with bruising, but nary enactment was taken astatine the time.

Roberts tried to explicate that bruises connected Charlie’s receptor months aboriginal were caused by him resting connected his artifact container portion helium was sleepwalking oregon from falling retired of bed.

Dr Deborah Stalker, an adept paediatrician and specializer successful kid protection, studied photos of Charlie portion helium was alive. She besides sought proposal from aesculapian experts and utilized post-mortem images.

She said: ‘In my opinion, this is simply a non-accidental injury, by that I mean it is simply a purposefully-inflicted injury. Accidental injuries to the receptor are precise rare.’

Stockton was besides recovered blameworthy of kid cruelty.

Outside court, 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.’

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