Kent mother and ex-partner guilty of baby's murder after night of 'aggressive, violent discipline'
A mother and her ex-partner have unanimously been found guilty of murdering her 18-month-old son.
Sian Hedges and her former boyfriend Jack Benham, 35, were jointly accused of murdering Alfie Phillips overnight on 28 November 2020 at Benham's caravan in Hernhill, near Faversham, Kent.
The little boy died with 70 visible injuries on him, including a “myriad of bruises” and marks such as fractures to his ribs, arms and leg, signs of smothering to his lips and mouth, and traces of cocaine in his body.
A jury of five men and seven women took approximately 10 hours to reach the unanimous guilty verdict at Maidstone Crown Court today (30 November 2023).
Benham stormed out after hearing the verdict, while Hedges broke down in tears and said "I love you mum" as she left the box moments later.
Both families in court broke down in tears, many left very distressed.
The judge thanked the jury for their "devotion to a stressful and traumatic case" and said they "played their part magnificently."
Benham, of Hernhill, Kent, and Hedges, of Yelverton, Devon, will be sentenced on Tuesday 19 December.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC had told jurors: “It is clear that he had been deliberately injured on more than one occasion, culminating in an assault perpetrated on him during the night of 27 to 28 November 2020 that led to his death.”
“Jack Benham and Sian Hedges were in the caravan together throughout the night.
“Had either defendant not been joining in with the assaults, that defendant who was not part of it would have stopped the attack and removed Alfie Phillips from the caravan, and from the presence of the other who was carrying out these attacks.
“The fact that this did not happen can only be because both defendants agreed that the assaults should take place … they both agreed in meting out some sort of aggressive, violent discipline to Alfie that night which resulted in his death.”
On the night before Alfie died, Benham said the pair were drinking, chatting and watching YouTube videos that evening as “just normal”.
But the prosecution said this was the time Alfie must have been violently assaulted.
Ms Knight continued: “It was all a lie, the truth is you and Sian were both present and involved in that assault, you and Sian both killed Alfie.”
During the trial, Alfie was described as “good as gold” and “lively” by his father, Sam Phillips, adding there was “never a dull moment” with the toddler, who he said was always playing and laughing.
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