**Toddler Suffered ‘Car Crash’-Level Injuries, Murder Trial Hears**
A murder trial in North Wales has heard harrowing evidence about the injuries sustained by a two-year-old boy, with a pathologist comparing the trauma to those witnessed in victims of high-speed collisions or falls from several storeys. The case concerns the tragic death of Ethan Ives-Griffiths, whose grandparents stand accused of his murder.
Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers delivered detailed testimony at Mold Crown Court, describing an array of over 40 injuries inflicted upon Ethan. He stated that the severity and nature of the wounds indicated a force far beyond the norm for accidents involving children of that age, suspecting repeated physical assault or violent shaking as the only plausible causes.
During his post-mortem examination, Dr Rodgers explained to the court the extent of little Ethan’s suffering. He said the pattern of injuries, which included bruises and trauma throughout the head, face, neck, chest, arms, and legs, could not be the result of minor accidents. Instead, Dr Rodgers likened the trauma to what might be expected from a significant fall, such as plummeting from the height of a multi-storey building, or being involved in a serious road traffic incident.
Further emphasising Ethan’s frail condition, Dr Rodgers told the jury that the boy weighed just one and a half stone—noticeably underweight for his age. He reportedly appeared “thin” and “not well nourished,” another troubling detail in the wider investigation into his care.
Specific injuries listed during the coroner’s findings painted a distressing picture: damage to Ethan’s forehead, jaw, nose, lips, ears, neck and limbs, as well as internal bleeding on the brain and in the abdomen. The pathologist pointed in particular to two separate sites of internal bleeding in the gut and bowel, suggesting blunt force trauma had occurred on at least two distinct occasions.
The injuries were further compounded by medical evidence that Ethan’s blood had undergone clotting so frequently from repeated trauma that “the clotting factors in the blood had been used up,” described by Dr Rodgers as a “terminal, critical, dying event.” This level of repeated injury, he concluded, is rarely observed outside of the most serious types of physical trauma.
Supporting Dr Rodgers’ findings, another medical expert, Dr Daniel Du Plessis, reportedly found no signs of natural illness that could have led to such injuries. The court heard that “an acute event” likely triggered Ethan’s final collapse on 14 August 2021, with evidence of older, chronic head injuries adding to the suspicion of longstanding abuse.
The prosecution alleges that Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, both of Kingsley Road in Garden City, are responsible for Ethan’s death. They each face one count of murder, in addition to charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person under 16. Ethan’s mother, Shannon Ives, 28, from Nant Garmon in Mold, is also on trial accused of causing or allowing Ethan’s death and of similar cruelty charges. All three deny all allegations.
The trial, which is expected to run for six weeks, continues as the jury hears further evidence regarding Ethan’s condition and the circumstances leading up to his death.
This deeply troubling case has shocked the local community and raised broader questions about the safety nets in place for vulnerable children. Legal proceedings remain ongoing, with all defendants maintaining their innocence as the hearing progresses.
Observers and child protection advocates will no doubt be watching closely as the court attempts to untangle the complex web of evidence and testimony, seeking justice for a young life lost under such tragic and violent circumstances. The outcome of this trial is likely to have ramifications both locally and in wider discussions on child welfare and protection policies.