Mum and ex-boyfriend murdered 18-month-old boy in caravan during 'night of violence'
12.01.2024 - 15:51
/ manchestereveningnews.co.uk
A mother and her ex-boyfriend brutally murdered her 18-month-old son in a 'night of violence' inside a caravan.
Alfie Phillips suffered 70 injuries to his body in the overnight attack by Sian Hedges, 27, and Jack Benham, 35, in his caravan in Hernhill, Kent, in November 2020.
Hedges, of Yelverton in Devon, and Benham, of Hernhill, had denied harming Alfie but were both found guilty of Alfie’s cocaine and whiskey-fuelled murder after a nine-week trial at Maidstone Crown Court. On Friday, the killers were sentenced to life imprisonment with minimum terms of 19 years for Hedges and 23 years for Benham.
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The court heard that the little boy died with a “myriad of bruises”, broken ribs, arms and a leg. He also had traces of cocaine in his body. Benham admitted that he and Hedges were addicts who would regularly take drugs around the child.
The couple began their relationship in about September 2020 after meeting at a mutual friend’s house where they would buy drugs.
On November 27, the night before Alfie died, Benham said Hedges went to buy drugs from their friend and repay her £400 debt, and also get mixers and drinks for their evening together in the caravan. The former Army man 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. Prosecutor Jennifer Knight KC said: “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.”
The toddler was