Tragic baby's final days of torture at hands of evil stepdad who shook him to death

Four-month-old Elijah Shemwell had nary anticipation of surviving erstwhile helium was placed successful the hands of his mother's spouse Carl Alesbrook, who has present been sentenced indefinitely for the baby's murder

Carl Alesbrook was tasked with taking attraction of his girlfriend's four-month-old babe portion she was astatine enactment - instead, helium chopped the tot's beingness abbreviated successful the cruellest of ways.

The teen rapidly grew bushed of his parental responsibilities and successful the weeks starring up to Elijah Shemwell's abrupt death, his vicious behaviour became a tragic motion of what was to come. Alesbrook, 19, was found blameworthy of murdering the four-month-old infant and contiguous handed an indefinite sentence.

He caused whiplash-type injuries, bleeding connected the encephalon and aggregate bony fractures to Elijah 7 weeks aft gathering his parent successful November 2021. The suspect denied murdering the small lad but was unanimously convicted, present facing a minimum word of 14 years, minus the clip helium has already served.

His ex-partner and Elijah's mother, India Shemwell, was sentenced to 3 years' imprisonment astatine the aforesaid tribunal aft she admitted 2 counts of kid cruelty successful December past year. Alesbrook had been minding the babe astatine the mother-of-one's location successful Belper, Derbyshire, portion she was retired astatine work.

Instead of protecting the small boy, Alesbrook lashed retired successful anger, inflicting superior injuries that prematurely ended small Elijah's life. On January 2, 2022, the teen's unit became fatal and the kid suffered a cardiac apprehension linked to a important encephalon injury.

Days earlier small Elijah was rushed to infirmary connected January 2, Alesbrook, who had met Ms Shemwell conscionable 7 weeks earlier helium killed her son, had sent her a Snapchat calling the babe "c**t" aft she said she would bargain immoderate formula.

Alesbrook responded: "He is being a c***, helium keeps spitting it out. He doesn't request changing either, I checked 10 minutes ago." The defendant, who denied ever being "unduly angered oregon irritated," was recovered to person shaken Elijah connected astatine slightest 2 different abstracted occasions, resulting successful symptoms of encephalon harm oregon dysfunction and subdural bleeding.

The slayer besides caused rib and limb fractures to Elijah's body, with 17 bruises recovered astir his chest, backmost and stomach, accordant with being gripped by an adult. A proceedings astatine Derby Crown Court heard that mum Shemwell sent a video of Elijah unresponsive with a floppy limb to friends connected Facebook to inquire for proposal connected his information connected January 1.

The injuries were inflicted 1 to 2 days earlier his last shake, which near him struggling to respire and with catastrophic encephalon trauma. Moments earlier his death, the small lad turned 'pale and limp' aft being near unsocial with Alesbrook whilst Shemwell was retired astatine the shops - which was proven with CCTV.

During a proceedings astatine Derby Crown Court, Prosecutor Vanessa Marshall KC told jurors Shemwell had separated from Elijah's begetter but "remained emotionally and sexually involved" with him, which she claimed whitethorn person caused Alesbrook "some understandable vexation astatine the uncertainty of the presumption of his relationship" with her.

The prosecution alleged that a toothache suffered by Alesbrook astatine the clip whitethorn besides person caused him to suffer his temper with Elijah. Alesbrook denied that his bony symptom caused him to lash retired astatine the babe and denied feeling jealous towards Shemwell's ex-partner.

The convict besides told defence barrister Mark Heywood KC that helium would ne'er shingle a babe due to the fact that helium "knew what was close and what was wrong". After showing the assemblage a mobile telephone video of Elijah struggling for enactment soon earlier his admittance to hospital, the authoritative said the mum had dialled 999 astatine 10.33pm connected January 2 and told the operator: "I've conscionable travel backmost from the store and my four-month-old isn't breathing precise good and he's gone airy and limp."

The babe was taken by paramedics to Queen's Medical Centre successful Nottingham, and helium died 3 days aboriginal connected January 5. The tribunal was told that successful the sentiment of a advisor forensic pathologist, "in summation to shaking, determination had been impacts to the face, either arsenic the effect of blows being delivered, oregon Elijah striking a surface." In short, the assemblage heard, the pathologist volition accidental determination is nary plausible mentation for "the constellation of injuries present" different than from an assault.

Shemwell was described during her ex-partner's proceedings arsenic "a thoroughly inadequate mother" who some mostly and specifically neglected Elijah and failed to question punctual aesculapian attraction for him connected some January 1 and 2. Prosecutor Vanessa Marshall KC told the assemblage trying Alesbrook: "Whilst the prosecution heavy criticise Miss Shemwell for this neglect towards Elijah, it is not the prosecution's lawsuit that she caused immoderate of the injuries."

Ms Marshall continued: "The prosecution is assured that a cautious reappraisal of the grounds successful this lawsuit puts this suspect unsocial with Elijah moments earlier the captious incidents… truthful arsenic to marque it inexplicable connected the ground of coincidence that it was not this suspect who was liable for causing Elijah's injuries and death."

Alesbrook, of Upper Greenhill Gardens, Matlock, denied causing immoderate harm to Elijah but was unanimously convicted of some execution and causing grievous bodily harm with intent by the assemblage astatine Derby Crown Court connected Thursday. Shemwell, who was aged 21 astatine the clip of the murder, admitted to 2 counts of kid cruelty, including the information that she did not dial exigency services much rapidly aft Elijah became unwell.