Carl Alesbrook jailed for life for baby’s murder

A teen who murdered his girlfriend’s four-month-old child by shaking him to dying has been informed he’ll serve at the least 14 years in jail.

Elijah Shemwell died on 5 January 2022, three days after he was discovered pale, limp and drowsy at his mom’s house in Belper, Derbyshire.

Carl Alesbrook, who was 16 on the time, was in a relationship with Elijah’s mom India Shemwell and had been alone taking care of the newborn in her flat.

Alesbrook, now 19, denied harming Elijah however was convicted after a trial at Derby Crown Courtroom, and was handed a life sentence with the 14-year minimal time period on Friday.

Alesbrook, beforehand of Higher Greenhill Gardens, Matlock in Derbyshire, met his ex-partner Shemwell in November 2021.

He beforehand denied murdering Elijah however was unanimously convicted after a five-week trial in July.

The courtroom heard Alesbrook induced whiplash-type accidents, bleeding on the mind, and a number of bone fractures to Elijah.

Video taken by Shemwell of her son unresponsive with a floppy arm on 1 January was proven to the jury.

One other video confirmed him “gasping for breath” earlier than Shemwell phoned emergency providers on the night of two January, and he was taken by an ambulance to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham.

Elijah died three days afterward 5 January with deadly head accidents that had been described in courtroom as “catastrophic”.

In the course of the trial, Alesbrook denied being “unduly angered or irritated” by the newborn, however the courtroom was informed he despatched an abusive Snapchat message to Shemwell days earlier than the newborn was rushed to hospital.

He additionally denied {that a} toothache induced him to “lose his mood”, or that he was “jealous” of Shemwell’s relationship with the newborn’s father.

Mark Heywood KC, defending Alesbrook, mentioned the defendant was “very younger and really immature” on the time of the offences, however was “able to being a really caring father determine”.

The courtroom heard Alesbrook sorted Elijah when his mom was away from her house.

Shemwell, who was 21 on the time however is now 24, was sentenced to 3 years’ imprisonment on the similar courtroom after she admitted two counts of kid cruelty in December final yr.

She cried within the dock because the movies of Elijah showing “lifeless” had been performed to the courtroom in the course of the sentencing listening to.

Shemwell was described throughout her ex-partner’s trial as “a completely insufficient mom” who typically and particularly uncared for to hunt immediate medical consideration for her son.

Prosecutor Vanessa Marshall KC mentioned Shemwell “did not prioritise the wants of Elijah over her personal” and may have recognized Elijah was “testing Mr Alesbrook’s persistence”.

Shemwell’s defence lawyer Darron Whitehead mentioned: “She is aware of she has let down her son, she is aware of she has let herself down, and she or he has let down her household.

“It’s her inactivity, it is her failings, that can hang-out her for the remainder of her life. She misses Elijah and it doesn’t matter what is claimed on this room, or in writing, she liked her son.”

A sufferer impression assertion by Shemwell’s mom, Rachel Shemwell, learn to the courtroom mentioned her daughter was “not one of the best of mums” and issues may have “turned out in another way” if she had requested for assist.

She wrote: “We’ll by no means get Elijah again and might solely bear in mind the happiness he introduced us in his quick life.”

Mr Justice Jeremy Baker mentioned: “The impact of Eli’s dying on those that liked him is clear. Nothing this courtroom can do will assuage their overwhelming sense of loss.”

Det Ch Insp Greg McGill, who led the investigation for Derbyshire Police, mentioned: “Even an adolescent is aware of the deadly dangers posed by shaking a four-month-old child boy.

“The pressure used to squeeze his tiny physique broke his ribs – whereas the shaking induced such vital harm that his mind grew to become starved of oxygen, resulting in his dying.

“Whereas India was fairly merely an appalling mom, she may by no means have foreseen the brutal actions of Alesbrook.

“Nonetheless, it’s fairly clear that she may and may have taken much better care of Elijah and she or he should dwell with the implications of each her motion and inaction for the remainder of her life.”