
- Couple sentenced to life imprisonment for brutal murder of 10-month-old son on Christmas Day.
- Baby suffered severe violence, including beatings, burns, and fractures with 130 injuries.
- Independent review underway to examine role of protection agencies.
A couple has been sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of the 'savage and brutal' murder of their 10-month-old son on Christmas Day.
Finley Boden tragically passed away 39 days after a family court had ruled for him to be returned to his parents' care. The court heard that Finley had suffered severe violence, including beatings and burns, leading to his death with 130 injuries.
Mrs Justice Tipples handed down life sentences to Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden, with Boden serving a minimum of 29 years and Marsden a minimum of 27 years.
An independent serious case review is currently being conducted to examine the involvement of protection agencies prior to Finley's death, with the results expected later this year.
Boden and Marsden had both pleaded not guilty to murder and child cruelty charges, but a jury found them guilty after a five-month trial where it was revealed that nearly every bone in Finley's body had been broken.
Paramedics were called to their home on Christmas Day after Finley was reported as unresponsive, but despite efforts to revive him, he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
During the postmortem examination, it was discovered that the baby, Finley, had suffered 71 bruises, two burn marks, and 57 fractures to his pelvis, shoulder, ankle, and ribs. One of the burn marks was believed to be caused by a cigarette lighter flame.
The fractures in his pelvis indicated possible sustained kicking or stamping, and the severity of his injuries was comparable to those sustained from a fall from a multi-storey building.
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