A trial has begun over the death of nine-year-old Alfie Steele, who died in the bathtub of his home. According to prosecutors, the boy was abused by his mother and her partner. Both were charged with manslaughter. They plead not guilty.
Alfie Steele died on February 18, 2021 at his home in Droitwich, UK. His mother, Carla Scott, alerted authorities saying the boy had hit his head and “fallen asleep in the bathtub”. Paramedics arrived on the scene within six minutes and transported the 9-year-old to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police officers present at the scene of the intervention noticed bruises on the face and bumps on Alfie’s body.
The trial of Carla Scott and her partner Dirk Howell opened at Coventry Court on Tuesday. They are both charged with manslaughter. According to prosecutors quoted by the BBC, the boy was tortured by the couple: more than 50 injuries were found on his body after his death. Scott and Howell allegedly punished the 9-year-old by either forcing him outside at night or by locking him in the house, dousing him with water and immersing him in cold water.
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Prosecutor about the past of the accused
The couple denies the murder. Prosecutor Michelle Heeley said at the trial that the woman entered into a relationship with Howell in 2019, two years after splitting with Alfie’s father, but the new relationship was “not happy” for her son. She added that Scott was known to local social services representatives and Howell was forbidden to spend the night in her house, but “knowingly constantly disregarded this order.”
According to Heeley, the findings of the investigators indicate not only that Scott and Howell were responsible for Alfie’s death, but also that the boy’s mother lied to “protect” her partner and hide her guilt. The accused claimed, for example, that Howell was not at home when the boy died – meanwhile the man was stopped by the police in a nearby street. “Right after the death of her child, the first thing she thought of was to lie,” Heeley said.
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