Alfie Steele: Mum and partner guilty of killing boy in bath

A mother and her partner have been convicted of killing her nine-year-old son in the bath after months of abuse.

Alfie Steele was found unresponsive at his home in Droitwich, Worcestershire, in February 2021.

Dirk Howell, 41, was found guilty of murdering the young boy and his mother, Carla Scott, was convicted of his manslaughter.

Jurors cleared her of Alfie's murder. They were told by the judge they would never have to sit on a jury again.

After weeks of hearing horrific details of the nine-year-old's final months, the jury deliberated for 10 hours over the verdicts.

Alfie was subjected to a cruel discipline regime and had more than 50 injuries on his body when he died.

His punishments included beatings, being forced to stand outside and being dunked head first in cold baths, Coventry Crown Court heard.

The family was known to social services - not least because Howell had an order in place preventing him from staying at the house, which he routinely flouted.

Neighbours also made repeated calls to police after hearing screaming and crying coming from both inside and outside the family home.

A safeguarding review will now explore what more could have been done to save Alfie.

Visibly distressed, Alfie's grandfather Paul Scott read a family statement to reporters outside court.

"It fills us with immense sadness that we will never be able to see that same cheeky smile again," he said.

"Losing Alfie has left a massive void in our lives. To think that we will never be able to hug him and watch him grow into an accomplished young man causes us such anguish.

"We miss him so much."

The court had heard emergency services arrived at the home on Vashon Drive at about 14:30 GMT on 18 February but paramedics were unable to revive him.

Although an exact cause of death could not be ascertained, evidence strongly suggested he died after being dunked in the freezing cold water.

Scott, 35, claimed Alfie had fallen asleep while enjoying a warm bath. However, his injuries and low body temperature - 23C (73F) - indicated a different story.

The trial heard Scott struck up a relationship with Howell in 2019 and his discipline regime quickly escalated during 2020, when the country went into lockdown during the Covid pandemic.

Jurors heard harrowing 999 calls from neighbours who tried to raise the alarm, before Alfie eventually died from the brutal regime.

Some neighbours heard him screaming as he was forced into the cold baths and others reported seeing him standing in the garden at night "like a statue" while being berated by Howell.

He had admitted four counts of child cruelty, but Scott repeatedly maintained her innocence. As well as manslaughter, the jury convicted her of child cruelty.

Alfie's mother was in tears as she was taken down to the cells, but Howell, of Princip Drive, Aston, Birmingham, showed no visible emotion.

Outside court, Det Ch Insp Leighton Harding said Alfie "suffered the most horrifying physical and emotional abuse" and it was "unimaginable to consider the fear and distress he must have felt during the events that led to his collapse".

"Alfie should have expected unconditional love and protection of Scott, yet she deliberately neglected his needs, choosing to prioritise her own needs and relationship with Howell, knowing the cruel treatment he was inflicting on Alfie," he added.

Det Ch Insp Harding said the case had not been referred to the Independent Office of Police Conduct (IOPC), because it "did not meet the criteria", despite officers' contact with the family.

"We are of course committed to learning from this sad case," he said, adding the force would be complying with the forthcoming safeguarding review.

Stephen Eccleston, independent chair of Worcestershire Safeguarding Children Partnership, said the team was "shocked and saddened by the death of Alfie".

"On behalf of the partnership, I would like to take this opportunity to pass on our condolences to Alfie's family."

He said the review would be published later this year.

Nigel Huddleston, MP for Mid-Worcestershire, described the case as "absolutely horrendous".

"We must endeavour to learn lessons from Alfie's murder to help ensure that such a horrific event never happens again," he added.

Judge Mr Justice Mark Wall said Howell and Scott would be sentenced on Thursday.

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