Rebecca Shuttleworth: Monster mum jailed for life for murder of toddler son who died with 37 bruises and tear in stomach
The vile mum tortured little Keanu Williams, two, for months before fatally battering him in the two days leading up to his death
PA
A vile mum who beat her toddler son to death after she duped social workers into believing she was a caring parent has been jailed for life.
Rebecca Shuttleworth tortured little Keanu Williams, two, for months before fatally battering him in the two days leading up to his death.
The 25-year-old was today jailed for life with a minimum of 18 years for
Meanwhile she had attended parenting classes and appeared to be an “attentive” mother.
A case review is expected to probe failures by agencies responsible for child protection.
Devious Shuttleworth told doctors Keanu, nicknamed Kiwi, had suffered a heart attack after his lifeless body was found at her boyfriend Luke Southerton’s flat in Ward End, Birmingham.
But a postmortem uncovered a catalogue of injuries that suggested a long period of torture – including 37 bruises and a fist-sized tear in the tot’s stomach, the trial jury was told.
Shuttleworth had blamed Southerton for inflicting the fatal injuries on her son when she left him with Keanu for a few hours on January 9, 2011.
But a jury of four men and seven women found her guilty of murder yesterday after almost three days of deliberations.
She was also convicted of one charge of cruelty to another child who cannot be named for legal reasons.
Judge Mr Justice Spencer, who also passed concurrent sentences for child cruelty totalling four years, told Shuttleworth: "The jury have convicted you of the brutal murder of your two-year-old son.
"He was a defenceless child and it was your duty to protect him. Instead you beat him so severely he died a lingering death from his injuries a day or so later.
"You have also been convicted of cruelty by failing to summon the medical aid he so badly needed."
Paying tribute to Keanu, the judge added: "He was a delightful little boy described as a real character, a little entertainer who remained cheerful despite everything.
"Joyful was the word that more than one witness used to describe him - he was a favourite at nursery as well as within the family.
"His death has left a void in many live which will never be filled."
Southerton, 32, was cleared of murder but convicted of child cruelty.
He was handed a nine-month suspended sentence and ordered to do 200 hours unpaid work for one count of child cruelty.
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