Finley Boden: Parents Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden sentenced for baby’s murder

The judge said that the murder of Finley was committed by both Marsden and Boden acting together

She said she could not be sure their actions were pre-mediatated but said that does not provide mitigation because of their ‘dreadful cruelty’ over an extensive period of 13 days.

Both Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden have been jailed for life. Boden has been told he will serve a minimum of 29 years and Marsden 27 years, before they will be eligible to apply for parole.

The couple have never explained why they carried out the attacks on their baby that led to his death.

The court heard the couple repeatedly lied, saying they were drug free and that their home was a safe place for their baby.

The senior police officer who led the investigation into the murder of Chesterfield baby Finley Boden has said the 10-month-old was in a house where where ‘no child should have to live’ and that it is the 'most shocking case' he's worked on.

Commenting on the case, an NSPCC spokesperson said: “The cruelty and abuse inflicted on Finley leading up to his tragic death was appalling and heart-breaking.

“The death of a child in such brutal circumstances leaves many of us asking questions and we await the Child Safeguarding Practice Review to establish exactly what happened and any ways in which Finley could have been better protected, in order to help prevent future tragedies.

“We know that babies and our youngest children are particularly vulnerable to abuse and completely reliant on the adults around them for care and protection.

“Nationally the Government must takes forward the changes recommended by previous reviews and experts to transform the child protection system and ensure the different agencies involved are able to work together effectively to focus on children and babies like Finley.

“It’s also crucial that everyone does all they can to prevent child abuse. Anyone who has concerns for a child’s safety should contact the local authorities, the police or the NSPCC Helpline.”

Hitesh Keshvala from the Crown Prosecution Service said: “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of lengthy and, at times, harrowing criminal proceedings against the two people responsible for Finley Boden’s death – his parents Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden.

“The sentence handed down takes into account all the evidence we have shown the court: the sheer number of injuries inflicted on Finley, the violence used and the neglect shown by the defendants as they thought to cover up their actions rather than seek help for their baby.

“However, first and foremost, our thoughts are with Finley’s loved ones who have had to come to terms with his tragic death and the circumstances in which he died - at the hands of those who should have been there to care for him and nurture him. On behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, I would like once again to offer them our heartfelt sympathies. We would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”

Investigations into Finley’s death showed that, rather than a single cause of death, he had died from complications due to a series of injuries that on their own would not have been fatal.

The CPS presented evidence that Finley’s injuries were the result of significant and repeated acts of violence carried out by Boden and Marsden, and that their combined neglect in failing to seek treatment for his injuries resulted in complications and infections causing his death.

Investigations into Finley’s death showed he had sustained 71 external injuries, including bruising, burns and abrasions. He had also suffered multiple fractures and other internal injuries.

Medical experts instructed by the prosecution confirmed that the majority of the injuries were caused by blunt force trauma and required significant force to inflict.

Not only did the defendants fail to seek treatment for Finley, they also actively conspired to conceal his injuries from the authorities tasked with his protection.