Jacob Crouch: Stepdad guilty of murdering baby while mum allowed his death to happen
ITV News Central Correspondent Phil Brewster reports on the catalogue of abuse baby Jacob suffered before his death
Warning: Some readers may find the details in this article upsetting
A stepfather has been convicted of murdering a 10-month-old stepson, who was found dead in his cot with dozens of injuries.
After four days of deliberation by a jury following a seven-week trial at Derby Crown Court, Craig Crouch, 39, was convicted of murder and three counts of child cruelty.
Gemma Barton, 33, was cleared of murder, an alternative charge of manslaughter, and two counts of child cruelty, but was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child and a third count of child cruelty.
Her son Jacob had suffered at least 39 rib fractures, and died from a "vicious assault" at the hands of Craig Crouch, Derby Crown Court heard.
The baby was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics from the East Midlands Ambulance Service.
'Jacob was not given the care that as a baby he needed and deserved'
Opening the case in June, prosecutor Mary Prior KC said: "Neither sought medical help for Jacob at any stage for the pain and suffering caused when his bones were broken or in the few days that followed."
She added: "Neither got Jacob out of what must have been a life with episodes of significant pain and suffering.
"Jacob was not given the care that as a baby he needed and deserved."
What happened to Jacob Crouch?
An inquest into the death of a 10-month-old baby has heard he died after suffering a traumatic bowel injury.
Derby Coroner's Court heard Jacob Crouch was pronounced dead at the Royal Derby Hospital after being found "critically ill" in a house in Linton.
The emergency services were called to the home on 30 December 2020, prompting a police investigation.
An inquest heard a post-mortem examination found the baby died from peritonitis - an infection of the stomach - which was caused by traumatic bowel perforation.
Assistant Coroner Sophie Lomas opened and adjourned an inquest into the death until the police investigation had concluded.
Trial told couple 'encouraged' each other over baby’s 'suffering and death'
Gemma Barton and Craig Crouch "encouraged and applauded each other" as they “worked together” to cause Jacob Crouch’s “suffering and death” with the youngster sustaining at least 39 rib fractures in a minimum of four separate assaults, a prosecutor told the jury at Derby Crown Court.
Mary Prior KC said Jacob endured a "culture of cruelty" and died from a "vicious assault" which saw him "kicked or stamped on with such severe force that it fractured a rib and caused a tear in his stomach and bowel".
He later contracted peritonitis – an infection of the lining of the abdominal organs – and died "in his cot, alone" on December 30 2020 at his home in Foxley Chase, Linton, near Swadlincote in Derbyshire, with 19 visible bruises at the time of death.
As well as the visible bruises on his face and chest, Mrs Prior said that there were 15 “separate incidents of bruising” and post-mortem examinations found multiple internal bruises and bleeds, including evidence of “severe and significant blunt force trauma” to his abdomen – an injury akin to those caused by high-speed traffic collisions.
'The devil'
Barton, 32, met Crouch, 39, while four months pregnant with Jacob, with the pair becoming “very close, very quickly” and Crouch calling Jacob “our little boy” only a month after first contacting Barton.
Jacob was born healthy on February 17 2020, with Crouch named as his father on the birth certificate, but Mrs Prior said that he was “assaulted causing bruising on a regular basis for at least six months” from the age of just four months, and was referred to as “the devil” in one text message.
On June 2, Barton texted Crouch to say “If only you could talk to Jacob and tell him to stop his ****** moaning …”, and in the same month, Crouch asked Barton whether she had “put back what Jacob threw back down him” – referring to vomit – with Barton confirming she had.
'If he starts crying for no reason then smack his hand' - text messages
The jury saw images of bruising to Jacob’s chest, sustained as early as July 2020, which were “consistent with forceful compression of the ribs”, Mrs Prior said.
In September, Crouch said in texts that Jacob was “pushing us to our limits” and that he was “starting to get really ****** off with him”.
After Barton also sent texts calling her son a “little ****”, Crouch responded saying: “You need to be more regimental with him.
"If he starts to cry because he has hurt himself then that’s fine, comfort him. If he starts crying for no reason then smack his hand and straight to bed until settled.
“You need to be harder on him with this and not let this take over us. This will only get worse if not addressed now.
“Whether we like it or not if this continues our frustration and emotions will build and we will change towards one another.”
Further messages
Other text messages showed how Crouch threatened to leave Barton if Jacob’s behaviour did not improve.
Messages revealed how the couple would put Jacob in bed or smack him for “crying for no reason”, and that in September, when Barton told Crouch she was bathing Jacob, he replied “3 foot deep, just hot water and some bleach xxxx”, a comment he later labelled in a police interview as “banter”.
When paramedics were called on December 30, they found Jacob dead in his bed and believed he had been dead for much longer than Barton and Crouch had claimed.
The pair were arrested on January 5 2021, but both claimed that they were unaware of any non-accidental injury and have never given an explanation as to how the injuries occurred.
Stepfather denies working with partner to murder Jacob Crouch
Craig Crouch told jurors he "didn’t see anything" that could have caused broken ribs or a deadly internal injury in the final week of the baby’s life.
He also denied lying to police when he said his partner’s son Jacob seemed normal in the days before he found his cold and lifeless body on the morning of December 30 2020.
Prosecutors allege Crouch and Jacob’s mother, Gemma Barton, worked together to abuse and murder her son, who had numerous bruises, broken ribs and a perforated bowel when he died.
Under cross-examination from prosecutor Mary Prior KC at Derby Crown Court, Crouch said he "physically couldn’t work out" where blood-staining found on a Moses basket sheet had come from in May 2020.
Murder-accused mum tells jurors 'I did not kill my son'
Gemma Barton wept as she denied killing Jacob Crouch, who was found dead in his cot at his Derbyshire home – and who she described as her “bundle of joy”.
The 33-year-old and her partner, Craig Crouch, both deny murdering the youngster, who was found to have dozens of bruises and internal injuries when he died in December 2020.
Giving evidence for a second day on Wednesday, she was asked by her barrister, Clive Stockwell KC, who could have killed Jacob.
Fighting back tears, she replied: “It was not me so that leaves Craig.”
Barton told Derby Crown Court that she did not inflict the injuries that killed her son, nor did she see them inflicted by anyone else.
She said she had never punched, kicked or jumped on Jacob and had not seen Crouch hurt him at their home in Foxley Chase, Linton, near Swadlincote.
Barton “panicked” when Crouch told her Jacob was dead at around 7am on December 30 2020, and claimed her son was “normal” just two hours earlier.
As well as denying ever harming her son, Barton said she “can’t remember seeing” any of the 19 visible bruises on Jacob’s body at the time of his death.
Prosecutors allege that the bruises, at least 39 rib fractures and perforated bowel suffered by Jacob were the result of a “culture of cruelty” that saw him regularly abused by the two defendants over six months.
'As a father, I can't comprehend what happened behind closed doors' - Detective
Speaking outside Derby Crown Court following the convictions of Craig Crouch and Gemma Barton, Detective Inspector Paul Bullock, of the East Midlands Special Operations Unit, said: “Jacob Crouch was born into a culture of cruelty where both of the people he should have been able to trust above any other allowed him to be subjected to assault after assault.
“Heartbreakingly, for much of Jacob’s short life, he would have been in significant pain as a result of the serious and repeated assaults.
“It is clear from the evidence found on Gemma Barton and Craig Crouch’s phones, through text messages, videos and audio recordings, that they were equally responsible for the culture of cruelty that was inflicted on baby Jacob.
“As a father, I can’t comprehend what happened behind closed doors and my thoughts remain with Jacob’s wider family who have been left devastated by his death.
“I hope that today’s verdict brings with it a degree of closure for them, and it begins the process of them being able to grieve for Jacob, and remember the happier times with a much-loved child.”
Reaction from Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership
After the verdicts in the Jacob Crouch murder trial, a spokesperson for the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership said: "Following the verdict of murder for Craig Crouch, and causing or allowing the death of a child for Gemma Barton, we extend our sympathies to all those affected by the tragic death of Jacob.
"All relevant agencies worked closely to support the police investigation following his death in 2020. With support from those agencies, the Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership (DDSCP) reviewed the circumstances of this case.
"The DDSCP did not wait for the review to improve how babies and very young children are protected and since this tragic incident Partnership agencies have already worked together to develop the new ‘Keeping Babies Safe’ guidance, including policy changes and extensive staff training to strengthen practice and improve how services work with and support local families.
"The Derby and Derbyshire Safeguarding Children Partnership will continue to work closely with local agencies responsible for safeguarding children and young people to deliver improvements and strengthen services."
Barton, of Ray Street, Heanor, Derbyshire, and Crouch, of Donisthorpe Lane, Moira, Swadlincote, will be sentenced at the same court on Friday.