**Violence Against Toddler Shown in Court as Grandparents Stand Trial for Murder**
A North Wales court has been presented with distressing evidence in the trial concerning the death of two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths, whose grandparents Michael and Kerry Ives, along with his mother Shannon Ives, are charged in connection with his death in August 2021. All three stand accused of causing or allowing the death of a child and of cruelty to a person under 16. The grandparents are further charged with the murder of their grandson, charges which the trio have denied.
During the proceedings at Mold Crown Court, the jury was shown footage from CCTV cameras installed in the family’s back garden in Garden City, Deeside. Chillingly, the videos capture Ethan’s brothers assaulting him as Michael Ives watches on, reportedly doing nothing to intervene. Other disturbing images showed Michael Ives turning a hosepipe on Ethan as he lay face down on the trampoline, and one of the brothers pressing a foot against Ethan’s head. These images, according to the prosecution, are part of a catalogue of “pain, misery and casual brutality” inflicted upon the toddler in the weeks before his death.
The court heard from Detective Constable Lee Harshey Jones, who was called by the prosecution to describe and corroborate the events captured on camera and disclosed in mobile phone messages. The court was told that contact with social services had been established prior to the child’s death, with a social worker present at the home for a visit on August 5, 2021, just days before Ethan’s collapse and eventual passing on August 16. Text messages exchanged between family members painted a picture of deep frustration, neglect, and anger, with Ethan’s mother expressing being “sick of speaking to Ethan” and other relatives alleging constant shouting and slapping.
Medical evidence presented in court laid out a grim narrative. Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers, who undertook the post-mortem examination, noted Ethan had as many as 40 distinct injuries across his body, including suspicious lacerations to his jaw, mouth, and neck, coupled with deep bruising and significant internal trauma. Ethan’s body weight was described as “critically low”, and the post-mortem evidence suggested a lack of proper nutrition – contrary to the family’s accounts that he had been eating regularly.
Expert paediatricians told the court that the type and range of injuries could not have resulted from a single accident. Dr Sarah Dixon, called by the prosecution, considered the injuries to be the result of direct force trauma, and described the lack of adult care as “grossly neglectful”, equating the treatment Ethan suffered to “humiliation”.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC emphasised that, according to the Crown’s evidence, all three adults sought to assign blame to each other when confronted by police. Michael and Kerry Ives implied Ethan’s mother, Shannon, had violent tendencies and lacked patience, while Kerry focused her allegations on her daughter. The prosecution, however, contends that the grandparents concocted these allegations in order to deflect responsibility and hide their own abusive behaviour.
Further CCTV material demonstrated a series of incidents involving the children. At times, Ethan was left inert on the trampoline while older siblings bounced around him. On one occasion, Ethan was seen being lifted roughly by just his upper arm and carried away. The footage suggests repeated opportunities where adults could have intervened to prevent harm, but did not.
Text correspondence among family members and social workers, many of which were read aloud in court, paint a comprehensive but harrowing picture of a chaotic and neglectful environment. References to disciplinary slapping, being “wound up” by the children, and wishes to put the responsibility of care onto others feature prominently in these communications.
As the trial resumes, the court continues to grapple with the stark narrative of repeated violence, opportunities missed by those entrusted with Ethan’s care, and the tragic outcome that ended so young a life. The proceedings are ongoing, with the Crown continuing to present evidence in what remains a deeply sensitive and troubling case, raising once again urgent questions about child protection, family accountability, and the effectiveness of interventions by social services.