Taking Ethan to Tesco instead of the doctor was 'incomprehensible'

Grandparents and mother 'grossly neglectful' in their care, murder trial hears

- By DAVID POWELL

IT was “incomprehensible” that the grandparents of a toddler who “collapsed” failed to seek medical help and took him to Tesco instead, a murder trial jury heard yesterday.

Dr Sarah Dixon, a consultant paediatrician, said that failure was “motivated in part by a desire to avoid professionals making a diagnosis of child abuse”.

Dr Dixon was giving evidence on day eight of the trial of Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, who are accused the of murdering their grandson, Ethan Ives-Griffiths.

The couple, of Kingsley Road, Garden City, Deeside, deny murdering Ethan at their home in August 2021.

They and their daughter Shannon Ives, 28, of Nant Garmon, Mold, all deny other charges of causing or inciting the death of a child, and cruelty to a child under 16.

Mold Crown Court has heard Ethan sustained 40 external injuries akin to those in the victim of a high-speed traffic collision.

The prosecution say Ethan suffered what would prove to be a fatal head injury was on August 14, before his death at Alder Hey children’s hospital on August 16.

Dr Dixon told prosecutor Caroline Rees KC the “very high number of injuries was an outlier from what would be expected during day-to-day life”.

She said Ethan had an “extremely high number of bruises”.

She said: “The high number of the bruises co-existing with the head injuries and abdominal injuries lead me to the conclusion that they were inflicted, non-accidental injuries due to blunt-force impacts.”