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| Kemarni Watson Darby: Mum and partner jailed after boy's murder | Kemarni Watson Darby: Mum and partner jailed after boy's murder |
| (about 2 months later) | |
| Alicia Watson and Nathaniel Pope blamed each other for Kemarni's death | Alicia Watson and Nathaniel Pope blamed each other for Kemarni's death |
| A man who murdered his partner's three-year-old son after inflicting more than 20 rib fractures over weeks of beatings has been jailed for at least 24 years. | A man who murdered his partner's three-year-old son after inflicting more than 20 rib fractures over weeks of beatings has been jailed for at least 24 years. |
| Jurors heard Nathaniel Pope caused injuries to Kemarni Watson Darby comparable to a car crash. | Jurors heard Nathaniel Pope caused injuries to Kemarni Watson Darby comparable to a car crash. |
| Along with Pope's life term, Kemarni's mother Alicia Watson received 11 years at Birmingham Crown Court for causing or allowing Kemarni's death. | Along with Pope's life term, Kemarni's mother Alicia Watson received 11 years at Birmingham Crown Court for causing or allowing Kemarni's death. |
| Mrs Justice Tipples said he had died after "a severe and sustained assault". | Mrs Justice Tipples said he had died after "a severe and sustained assault". |
| Warning - this article contains distressing content. | Warning - this article contains distressing content. |
| The judge told 32-year-old Pope it would "have caused extreme distress and pain and that would have been obvious to you". | The judge told 32-year-old Pope it would "have caused extreme distress and pain and that would have been obvious to you". |
| "Kemarni was not your son and he did not mean anything to you. You saw him as a nuisance who got in the way of your relationship," she said. | "Kemarni was not your son and he did not mean anything to you. You saw him as a nuisance who got in the way of your relationship," she said. |
| The judge told the former warehouse worker she was sure he had been under the influence of cannabis when he killed the three-year-old in June 2018. | The judge told the former warehouse worker she was sure he had been under the influence of cannabis when he killed the three-year-old in June 2018. |
| Judge Mrs Justice Tipples said the physical abuse of Kemarni "became an accepted course of conduct in the flat" | Judge Mrs Justice Tipples said the physical abuse of Kemarni "became an accepted course of conduct in the flat" |
| Pope has previous convictions for burglary and possession of heroin with intent to supply. In 2011 he was jailed for four months for an attack on a young mother on a London bus. | Pope has previous convictions for burglary and possession of heroin with intent to supply. In 2011 he was jailed for four months for an attack on a young mother on a London bus. |
| The judge told Watson, 31, she had known Pope had been injuring Kemarni with punches and kicks and had done nothing to stop it; and she had also "regularly beat him hard" with her hands. | The judge told Watson, 31, she had known Pope had been injuring Kemarni with punches and kicks and had done nothing to stop it; and she had also "regularly beat him hard" with her hands. |
| During the trial, it emerged Watson had bought cannabis and spent money on driving lessons, as Kemarni lost his nursery place due to lack of funds. | During the trial, it emerged Watson had bought cannabis and spent money on driving lessons, as Kemarni lost his nursery place due to lack of funds. |
| Mrs Justice Tipples said it had been "a particularly distressing and tragic case". | Mrs Justice Tipples said it had been "a particularly distressing and tragic case". |
| This video can not be played | This video can not be played |
| To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. |
| Kemarni Watson Darby suffered harrowing injuries, a detective says | Kemarni Watson Darby suffered harrowing injuries, a detective says |
| Kemarni Watson Darby suffered harrowing injuries, a detective says | |
| Pathologists found four rib fractures on Kemarni which they believe were caused up to four weeks before he was killed at his home in Beaconview Road, West Bromwich. | Pathologists found four rib fractures on Kemarni which they believe were caused up to four weeks before he was killed at his home in Beaconview Road, West Bromwich. |
| The trial was told Kemarni would already have been in pain from serious injuries when, hours before he was beaten to death, he was taken by Watson to a walk-in health centre, where he was given medicine for a suspected stomach bug. | The trial was told Kemarni would already have been in pain from serious injuries when, hours before he was beaten to death, he was taken by Watson to a walk-in health centre, where he was given medicine for a suspected stomach bug. |
| Kemarni's father Darren Darby told the start of the sentencing hearing on Monday Pope and Watson had left him suffering "a true life sentence". | Kemarni's father Darren Darby told the start of the sentencing hearing on Monday Pope and Watson had left him suffering "a true life sentence". |
| In a statement about Kemarni, he said: "He had the potential to be so much. I will not get to be involved in the key moments of his life." | In a statement about Kemarni, he said: "He had the potential to be so much. I will not get to be involved in the key moments of his life." |
| This video can not be played | This video can not be played |
| To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. | To play this video you need to enable JavaScript in your browser. |
| CCTV footage shows the last time Kemarni was pictured alive | |
| CCTV footage shows the last time Kemarni was pictured alive | CCTV footage shows the last time Kemarni was pictured alive |
| Pope, from Wolverhampton, and Watson, of Handsworth, Birmingham, were also found guilty of child cruelty charges. | Pope, from Wolverhampton, and Watson, of Handsworth, Birmingham, were also found guilty of child cruelty charges. |
| Speaking after the pair were jailed, Giovanni D'Alessandro, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a deeply disturbing case of two people who were supposed to be protecting a defenceless three-year-old boy but instead subjected him to cruelty and repeated bouts of violence. | Speaking after the pair were jailed, Giovanni D'Alessandro, of the Crown Prosecution Service, said: "This was a deeply disturbing case of two people who were supposed to be protecting a defenceless three-year-old boy but instead subjected him to cruelty and repeated bouts of violence. |
| "Rather than take responsibility for their actions, both Watson and Pope repeatedly lied and sought only to blame one another for all of these crimes." | "Rather than take responsibility for their actions, both Watson and Pope repeatedly lied and sought only to blame one another for all of these crimes." |
| Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk | Follow BBC West Midlands on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to: newsonline.westmidlands@bbc.co.uk |