Grandfather ‘disgusted’ in himself for neglect of toddler, murder trial hears

A man accused of murdering his two-year-old grandson has admitted being cruel and neglectful to the toddler, and told a court he was “disgusted” in himself.

Michael Ives, 47, denied he or his wife Kerry Ives, 46, inflicted a severe head injury on Ethan Ives-Griffiths before he collapsed at their home in Flintshire, north Wales, on August 14 2021.

Ethan, who had been staying at his grandparents’ house in Garden City with his mother Shannon Ives, 28, died in hospital two days later having suffered catastrophic head injuries, a jury has heard.

‘Sick’

Under cross-examination by Caroline Rees KC, prosecuting, at Mold Crown Court on Tuesday, Ives said he felt “sick” about letting Ethan decline while he lived with them.

He accepted that he neglected Ethan and that the way he carried him, by his upper arm, was cruel – but he denied mistreating him in other ways.

Ms Rees said: “You were cruel and neglectful of Ethan?”

Ives replied: “Yeah.”

After watching CCTV footage of himself and Ethan in the back garden of the home on August 4 2021, when he could be seen carrying the toddler by his arm, Ives was asked how he felt about how he behaved.

He replied: “Ashamed.”

He added: “Disgusted in myself.”

Asked when he noticed Ethan was “dangerously thin”, Ives said he mentioned it to Shannon Ives a couple of weeks before the boy’s death.

He told the court: “She was going to try and get him a doctor’s appointment.”

He said he did not notice Ethan was so “desperately dehydrated” that medical experts said he would have died in a short time even if he had not suffered a brain injury.

Bruises

He said he was “shocked” to learn there were 40 bruises or red marks found on Ethan after his death.

But, he told the court he had noticed bruises on Ethan’s cheeks which appeared to look as if he had been grabbed by his face and he mentioned it to his daughter.

He said he asked Shannon Ives where the bruises came from, but she said she did not know.

Ms Rees said: “Did you cause those bruises?”

He said: “No.”

He said he did not discipline Ethan by making him put his hands on his head, although in interviews he told police he had done that about four times.

Ms Rees said: “Are you hiding the fact that you told Ethan to put his hands on his head because you know that was part of your brutal discipline regime for that two-year-old boy?”

Ives replied: “No.”

Ives has told the court he was in the living room with Ethan on August 14 2021 when his legs turned to “jelly”.

Ms Rees said medical evidence showed something “horrifying” happened to the toddler just before his collapse.

She asked: “What horrifying thing happened to Ethan?”

He replied: “Nothing.”

Michael and Kerry Ives, of Kingsley Road, Garden City, deny murder, an alternative count of causing or allowing the death of a child, and cruelty to a person under 16.

Shannon Ives, of Nant Garmon, Mold, denies causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a person under 16.