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| Alfie Steele: Mum and partner guilty of killing boy in bath | Alfie Steele: Mum and partner guilty of killing boy in bath |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Alfie had more than 50 injuries on his body when he died, the court heard | Alfie had more than 50 injuries on his body when he died, the court heard |
| A mother and her partner have been convicted of killing her nine-year-old son in the bath after months of abuse. | 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. | 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 manslaughter. | Dirk Howell, 41, was found guilty of murdering the young boy and his mother, Carla Scott, was convicted of manslaughter. |
| Jurors cleared her of Alfie's murder. They were told by the judge they would never have to sit on a jury again. | Jurors cleared her of Alfie's murder. They were told by the judge they would never have to sit on a jury again. |
| They deliberated for 10 hours over the case after weeks of hearing horrific details of the nine-year-old's final months. | They deliberated for 10 hours over the case after weeks of hearing horrific details of the nine-year-old's final months. |
| Alfie was subjected to a cruel discipline regime and had more than 50 injuries when he died. | Alfie was subjected to a cruel discipline regime and had more than 50 injuries when he died. |
| Jurors heard how his punishments included beatings, being forced to stand outside and being dunked head first in cold baths. | Jurors heard how his punishments included beatings, being forced to stand outside and being dunked head first in cold baths. |
| The family was known to social services and neighbours had made repeated calls to police to raise concerns about how Alfie was being treated. | The family was known to social services and neighbours had made repeated calls to police to raise concerns about how Alfie was being treated. |
| A safeguarding review will now explore what more could have been done to save him. | A safeguarding review will now explore what more could have been done to save him. |
| Carla Scott and Dirk Howell lied to authorities repeatedly after Alfie's body was found | |
| Emergency services arrived at the home on Vashon Drive at about 14:30 GMT on 18 February but paramedics were unable to revive Alfie. | |
| Although an exact cause of death could not be ascertained, evidence strongly suggested he died after being dunked in a cold bath. | Although an exact cause of death could not be ascertained, evidence strongly suggested he died after being dunked in a cold bath. |
| 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. | 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 quickly his discipline regime escalated during 2020, when the country went into lockdown during the Covid pandemic. | The trial heard Scott struck up a relationship with Howell in 2019 and quickly his discipline regime 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. | Jurors heard harrowing 999 calls from neighbours who tried to raise the alarm before Alfie eventually died from the brutal regime. |
| Some of them 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. | 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. | |
| Judge Mr Justice Mark Wall said the pair would be sentenced on Thursday. | |
| 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 |
| Related Topics | Related Topics |
| Droitwich | Droitwich |
| Birmingham | |
| Aston |