Father found guilty of murdering baby son Ollie Davis who suffered ‘snapped’ neck

A father accused of murdering his five-week-old baby son in Leicester has been found guilty.

The baby's mother was cleared of murder but found guilty of causing or allowing her son's death.

The jury was told how Ollie Davis was found lifeless in his crib at home in Beaumont Leys on the morning of 21 October in 2017, having sustained fractures to his skull, collar bone, both arms and the joints of all his limbs.

He was taken by ambulance to Leicester Royal Infirmary where he died later that day, despite the efforts of medics.

Michael Davis, 29, was found guilty of murder and two counts of causing grievous bodily harm and was remanded in custody facing a mandatory life sentence.

Jurors cleared Ollie's mother, Kayleigh Driver, 31, of murder and causing grievous bodily harm with intent, but found her guilty of charges of causing or allowing the death of a child and causing or allowing serious physical injury.

Trial judge Mr Justice Cotter renewed Driver’s conditional bail following the verdicts and ordered that she should be sentenced alongside Davis on April 10.

Adjourning the case, Mr Justice Cotter told Davis: “The position is that, by virtue of the verdicts of this jury, there is only one sentence which I can pass, which is a life sentence.

“However the minimum term you will serve remains to be determined.”

The judge then told Driver: “You have been convicted of serious offences. There will inevitably be a custodial sentence, the length of which I will determine on April 10.”

After thanking the jury for its service during the “difficult and demanding” case, the judge excused the panel from undertaking jury service for the next 20 years.

Police say there were no obvious signs of injury or any illness that could account for Ollie’s death, but a few days later, following medical investigation, the true extent of the baby's injuries was uncovered.

A post-mortem examination revealed Ollie had died from the delayed effects of a broken neck, believed to have occurred up to eight days before his death.

The injury had led to the compression of the spinal cord which had caused him to stop breathing.

It was also revealed the month-old child had a total of 40 bone fractures, including a fractured skull, collar bone, breaks to joints in both arms and legs and 23 rib fractures.

Opening the Crown’s case in January, prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC told jurors: “The case concerns the death of five-week-old Ollie Davis on the morning of the October 21, 2017.

“He was found lifeless in his crib in the bedroom that he shared with his parents at Upper Temple Walk here in Leicester.

“An ambulance was called and he was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary. However, medical staff were unable to revive him and at 7.30am it was agreed that attempts to resuscitate him should be discontinued.

“He was then pronounced dead. He died from the delayed effects of a broken neck.”

Some of the injuries Ollie had suffered were inflicted days before he was taken to hospital.

Mr Hankin added: “Although the pathology doesn’t allow us to identify the precise mechanism with certainty… the (medical) experts engaged in this case on all sides are agreed that the neck injury led to compression of the spinal cord, which in turn stopped Ollie breathing.

“What the pathology investigation can tell us is the neck was snapped between four and eight days prior to his death.”

Davis, now aged 29, and Driver, now aged 31, both of Carlisle Street, Leicester, were initially arrested by police on 27 October 2017 but offered no explanation for their son's injuries.

It led to a complex and lengthy police investigation, involving medical experts examining each of the Ollie's many injuries.

It was established the fractures he sustained were non-accidental and must have been caused by serious physical abuse.

Speaking in a police interview in 2017, Michael Davis said his son "seemed and looked fine" and he "wasn't sure" how he had obtained the injuries.

"I'm quite shocked by them to be honest", he added.

Alongside the examination of his injuries by a number of medical specialists, Leicestershire Police continued to interview Driver and Davis, as well as their family members and health care professionals.

The pair both continued to deny any knowledge of what had happened to their son.

In October 2021, after four years of gathering evidence, Davis and Driver were charged in connection with Ollie’s death and causing other injuries.

DI Mark Parish of Leicestershire Police said: “Today’s verdicts are the culmination of more than six years of police investigation and detailed medical examination by specialists.

“The determination and commitment from the investigation and prosecution team has been in vital in achieving today’s result. We never lost sight in how important it was to get justice for Ollie.”

DC Batstone added: “Davis and Driver have evaded justice since 2017 but will now be facing a lengthy sentence for their actions. Ollie was a defenceless newborn baby who was abused and ultimately killed by someone who should have protected and cared for him the most.

“I would like to thank all the witnesses who gave evidence in this trial and extend my heartfelt condolences to Ollie’s wider family who can hopefully take some comfort now we have finally got justice for Ollie.”