A mother and her new partner poisoned her toddler to cover up a series of beatings – then played video games and used Facebook as she lay dying, a court heard.
Eve Leatherland, aged just 22-months, died in October 2017 at her home after suffering car crash-like injuries, a jury was told.
The child had a fractured skull, broken ribs and a ruptured liver but her mother Abigail Leatherland and boyfriend Tom Curd failed to seek help, it was claimed.
The child’s post mortem revealed a large amount of the strong adult painkiller codeine, a drug that under no circumstances should be given to a child.
The trial of both Leatherland, 24, and Curd, 31, from Watford, got underway at Truro Crown Court on Tuesday.
Both defendants are charged with murder, manslaughter by gross negligence, and causing or allowing the death of a child at their home in Liskeard, Cornwall.
They both deny the charges and say they were not responsible for the injuries Eve suffered in the build-up to her death – or the administration of the codeine.
Sean Brunton QC said: ‘Eve Leatherland was murdered in her own home.
‘In the few days leading up to her death she was assaulted on at least two occasions, possibly several more, and in the course of those assaults she suffered a fractured skull, several fractures ribs, a split liver and numerous other injuries of varying severity
‘Not only did she suffer a fractured skull and ribs on one occasion but it seems that when she was assaulted again the second assault was sufficiently similar to the first that it re-fractured her skull and re-fractured some of her ribs, tearing apart the young bones as they started to knit back together.
After these attacks she was then given medication. Not medication kindly given to alleviate her suffering.
‘Not a tea-spoon full of Calpol to take the edge off a nasty cold or a banged knee. But rather, she was given so much medication that she was killed by it.
‘Indeed the evidence would appear to be that the codeine alone, irrespective of the injuries would have been enough to kill her.’
Toddler died 'after couple poisoned her to cover-up horrific beatings'
Eve Leatherland had her skull fractured during an attack by her mother and partner, it is claimed.
metro.co.uk