Finley Boden: Chesterfield mother shown photo of dying son with 'bones all broken' and asked "what's happy about that little baby?"

"Nothing," said Shannon Marsden, 22, after seeing the picture of toddler Finley Boden lying with his eyes closed.

He spent 39 days with his parents and was found to have 130 injuries when he died on Christmas Day 2020, two days after the photo was taken.

Marsden claimed they were inflicted by the baby's father Stephen Boden at their home in Holland Road, Old Whittington. Both deny murder.

Mary Prior KC, prosecuting, asked for the photograph to be shown at Derby Crown Court. She then questioned why Marsden accepted the father's view that the child was "happy."

Ms Prior asked: "Do you understand that at the date of this photograph your son's bones were all broken apart from his left leg and skull?" Marsden said: "Obviously I am aware now."

The barrister went on: "Do you understand he would have been in severe pain as a result of those fractures?"

Marsden of no fixed address said: "Apparently yeah."

Earlier she told the court that she would have admitted it if she had harmed Finley.

She told the jury: "I would stand up with my hands up. I would not be a coward any more.

"But I didn't kill Finley. I didn't hurt Finley, didn't know any injuries Finley had."

The couple also deny manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child.

Simon Kealey KC defends Boden of Romford Way, Barrow Hill. The barrister said that on December 23 Finley was registered for a Covid test and that Marsden began an internet search for symptoms of sepsis.

Marsden said: "It was just one of a thousand thoughts running around my head at the time."

Mr Kealey suggested that Boden did not stop her from taking the baby to the hospital.

She replied: "Physically no, mentally yeah. He told me I was overthinking. Apparently it was one of the times I was delusional."

Mr Kealey said that at one point in the relationship, Marsden claimed that Boden was not suitable as a parent.

He asked: "If he was not fit to be a father, why didn't you do anything about it?"

She replied: "Because he played the little child.

"He played his little charm. At the same time, he started crying I just melted. I felt for him. He was a good dad at the time."

Mr Kealey asked why she had not told police about about claims that Boden had been violent towards her.

She replied: "I didn't want them to be focusing on me when they needed officers to be focusing on Finley."

Later Marsden said: "I didn't want to throw him under a bus. I still loved him."

The trial continues.