STEPDAD JAILED FOR MURDERING 22-MONTH-OLD BOY
A man convicted of killing his partner’s 22-month-old son has been sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison.Christopher Stockton, 38, asserted that Charlie Roberts choked on a biscuit at their Darlington home in January 2024.
Nonetheless, medical professionals quickly identified that the toddler had been severely shaken, leading to his death.
During proceedings at Teesside Crown Court, Stockton was sentenced to life imprisonment after being found guilty of murder, as well as child abuse committed in the months leading up to Charlie's passing.
Charlie's mother, Paula Roberts, aged 41 and who wished her son to call Stockton "daddy," received a four-year sentence after admitting neglect for not seeking medical aid for injuries prior to the incident.
The presiding judge noted that Roberts had "turned a blind eye" to her son's suffering and the violence inflicted by her partner.
It was revealed in court that Stockton and Roberts began their relationship at the start of 2023, with Stockton moving into her residence on Frosterley Drive just seven days before Charlie’s fatal injuries.
Over the months before his death, concerns were raised about bruises on Charlie, but Roberts only responded by installing a hidden camera in his bedroom, taking no further action.
The court learned that Stockton was in sole charge of Charlie for only 18 minutes on the morning of January 12 when he contacted emergency services, claiming the boy was unresponsive and had difficulty breathing.
Remarkably calm during the call, Stockton caused a responder to suspect the call was a hoax.
He explained that pneumonia made him too unwell to perform CPR.
Stockton’s account was that Charlie had choked on a biscuit while playing, but medical scans performed at Newcastle’s Royal Victoria Infirmary demonstrated catastrophic brain bleeding, which resulted in Charlie’s death the next day.
Pathologists concluded that the injuries were caused either by forceful shaking or a violent blow to the head.
The prosecutor, Nicholas Lumley KC, described Stockton as having little patience for Charlie, while Roberts often overlooked her partner’s abusive acts to preserve their relationship.
Roberts initially denied any wrongdoing but later confessed to child cruelty, acknowledging neglect for injuries to Charlie’s ear and genitals before his death.
Roberts’s defense attorney, Richard Herrmann, argued she had been unknowingly manipulated by Stockton and did not believe he was harming her son.
Stockton claimed Charlie's injuries stemmed from accidents like falls, but Roberts admitted her failure to seek medical care was a significant mistake.
She had interacted with social services and reviewed videos, yet did not detect risks, and her review of footage showed nothing alarming.
Judge Mr.
Justice Goss stated that Stockton’s actions robbed Charlie of his life and stripped his family of future happiness.
Describing his conduct as "intermittently cruel and violent," the judge stated that Stockton concealed his abuse by attributing injuries to accidents.
He emphasized that only Stockton knew the true cause of Charlie’s death, but the severity of the injuries pointed to forceful trauma.
Turning to Roberts, the judge criticized her for prioritizing her relationship over her child's welfare and for ignoring evident signs of abuse.
He warned her that she remained a danger to children she might care for in the future.
