### Medics Give Harrowing Account in Court of Injuries to Deceased Deeside Toddler
**MOLD, FLINTSHIRE** — The ongoing trial at Mold Crown Court has taken a sombre turn, as medical experts delivered agonising details concerning the injuries suffered by two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths prior to his death in August 2021. The boy’s grandparents, Michael and Kerry Ives, stand accused of his murder, while his mother, Shannon Ives, faces charges of causing or allowing his death and child cruelty. All three deny the allegations.
On Monday, consultant paediatric neurological surgeon Dr Jayaratnam Jayamohan addressed the jury via video link, outlining the severe nature of the toddler’s injuries upon arrival at hospital. “Ethan arrived desperately unwell,” Dr Jayamohan explained, recalling the day the youngster was admitted to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. He described how scans indicated substantial swelling of the brain and multiple areas of both fresh and old bleeding—findings consistent with repeated trauma.
Dr Jayamohan highlighted that the child’s injuries could not have occurred from a single accidental fall. “There were at least two distinct episodes that resulted in bleeding on the brain,” he told the court, adding that previous trauma, occurring weeks prior, had also left evidence of damage. The brain injuries, he asserted, likely arose from both shaking and direct impact, a conclusion further supported by disturbing CT scans presented to the jury.
Footage previously viewed in court depicted Ethan walking with a noticeably unsteady gait. Dr Jayamohan commented on this, stating that the behaviour may have been an attempt by the child to compensate for underlying neurological impairments already present due to earlier injuries. He discounted speculation that an incident on a trampoline, where another child struck Ethan, was responsible for the grave head trauma.
Prosecutor Caroline Rees KC pressed Dr Jayamohan further on the timeline of injuries. “The scan was very frightening to review,” he admitted, referring to extensive swelling seen on half of Ethan’s brain and areas of acute bleeding less than ten days old on both hemispheres. The consultant added that at one stage, Ethan had effectively experienced a stroke, severely impacting his condition.
The jury was also presented with distressing details about the family’s response on the night of Ethan’s collapse. Transcripts of the 999 call were played, during which the family described how Ethan had suddenly become limp, unresponsive and struggled to breathe. “He seemed alright one minute, and the next minute he just collapsed,” Michael Ives is heard recounting to police officers on bodycam footage.
Kerry Ives provided her version of events on the same footage, describing attempts to revive her grandson using water and fresh air before emergency services were finally contacted. While the defence attributed Ethan’s condition in part to his history of being “accident prone” and suggested a previous fall as the possible cause, medical testimony appeared to challenge the likelihood of such injuries resulting solely from minor household incidents.
After Ethan’s admission to Alder Hey, surgeons undertook a last-ditch operation to relieve the pressure on his brain. Dr Jayamohan stated candidly, “This was a hopeful operation. He was probably going to die.” Tragically, Ethan was pronounced dead at 4pm on 16 August 2021.
Authorities reported that Ethan bore over 40 injuries, and experts assert these accumulated over several weeks, adding weight to the prosecution’s portrayal of “pain, misery and casual brutality” endured by the toddler in his final days. The trial continues, with the court expected to hear further expert evidence and witness statements over the coming weeks.
This deeply troubling case has already drawn attention to issues surrounding child protection and the difficult task of untangling complex family dynamics in the wake of tragedy. The trial is anticipated to last up to six weeks, and the eyes of the local community—and indeed the whole country—remain fixed on the proceedings as new revelations continue to surface.