A man accused of murdering his grandson allegedly forced the toddler to stand with his hands on his head as a form of punishment, a court has heard.
Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths died on August 16, 2021, after collapsing at his grandparents’ home on Kingsley Road in Garden City two days earlier.
Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, the boy’s grandparents, have both pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and child cruelty.
Ethan’s mother, Shannon Ives, 28, of Nant Garmon, Mold, also denies causing or allowing his death and child cruelty.
On the 14th day of the trial (June 25), transcripts of police interviews were read out to the jury of seven women and five men at Mold Crown Court.
The court heard that when detectives asked Shannon if her father’s alleged actions towards Ethan could be considered “torture,” she agreed that they could.
However, when police asked why she didn’t report it, she stated: “Because I’m scared of my dad.” Don’t miss a court report by signing up to our crime newsletter here
The jury also heard that Michael had sent a text his other daughter Nicole in July 2021 which read: “Ethan needs to learn the hard way”. He then told police he “couldn’t remember” what he meant by that.
After collapsing at his grandparents home the following month, Ethan was taken to the Countess of Chester Hospital then transferred to Alder Hey children’s hospital on Merseyside where he died on August 16, 2021.
Shannon said her dad Michael would make Ethan stand with his legs open and his hands on his head “for one or two hours”, however she admitted to not seeing the act herself for the whole two hours.
She added that if Ethan put his hands down, her dad would tell him to put his hands back up again on his head. She said: “My dad said ‘He just needs to learn…he needs to be disciplined’. I said ‘He’s two!'”
In June 2021, Shannon said that Ethan went to stay with his grandparents , alone. She claimed that in the three to four weeks that he stayed there, the child went from “chunky to skinny.”
Clothes were “massive” on him, she told the court – prompting her to buy clothing for toddlers aged 18 to 24 months because clothes for “two to three-year-olds were too big”.
Shannon alleged that when she asked her parents: “How has he lost so much weight?”, they claimed to giving him “three or four meals a day”.
Shannon also told police she did not tell a social worker about her concerns over Ethan because she was “scared” of Michael “going mental”. She said that she believes “mainly my dad” was responsible for Ethan’s injuries.
Shannon, who claims Universal Credit and Child Benefit, also shared that she thinks her parents used her for financial gain, saying: “They act like they care but they don’t. They just want me there for my money – to use me. They’re not family. They don’t act like family.”
Meanwhile, Michael claimed to the court that when Shannon joined Ethan at his house, Ethan’s behaviour worsened. He said that Ethan would “ram” food into his mouth and “choke”. He added that he was never rough with Ethan.
Michael alleged that Ethan would stand and laugh at Shannon which would “make her blood boil”. According to Michael, Shannon once said “You need to f*** off in care, you little bastard.”
During the afternoon, the court listened to police interviews with Michael Ives. In his interview, Michael expressed that he felt “disgusted with himself” for carrying Ethan by one arm into his car in August 2021, calling it a “horrible” thing to do.
He also said he felt “sick” for doing the same thing again that same month, after carrying Ethan from a trampoline.
He admitted he was present when Ethan collapsed at their home in Garden City on both August 13 and 14. However, when a detective asked, “How is it that little boy has been killed in your house?” he responded, “I don’t know… 100% on my life, I’ve never touched him.”
