Finley Boden: Jury reminded Chesterfield baby had 'multiple injuries' caused by 'considerable force, squeezing and blows'
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A jury was reminded of the medical assessment in the trial of Finley Boden's parents, who deny murder and manslaughter in 2020.
Finley was ten months old and spent only 39 days living with the couple in Holland Road, Old Whittington. After death, he was found to have 130 injuries, including a burnt hand and 57 fractures.
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Hide AdThe judge has begun to sum up the evidence in the case which began at Derby Crown Court in November.
Mrs Justice Tipples said that experts believed the injuries were caused from December 4, 2020 with some probably dating from the 11th.
"The multiple rib fractures" were caused by "forceful compression of the chest by an adult." Other bones were fractured by "forceful squeezing, direct blunt force and or blows."
Leg injuries were the result of "holding, gripping or twisting. The force required for the fractures would be considerable," the judge said as she reviewed medical evidence given early in the trial.
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Hide AdStephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden also plead not guilty to allowing or causing the death of a child.
Some of the fractures had started to heal but some of Finley's tissues had been destroyed "as a result of abscess."
The judge went on to deal with texts sent from the couple's home during December. In one, 22-year-old Marsden wrote that "Stephen didn't want Finley in the house." Soon after, there was a Google search for "emergency housing Chesterfield."
When asked about it, Boden of Romford Way, Barrow Hill said he was "down on his mental health" at the time.
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Hide AdHe said there had been an argument with Marsden, who is now of no fixed address. But he said it was "just words, no violence."
On another occasion, Boden sent a text message to his drug dealer, saying: "Finley sick on and off all night. Like a bug. Cleaned up twice. 24-hour bug."
Later Boden said that he included the details so he would "get weed quicker" and did not know that Finley was seriously ill.
And when Boden visited his drug dealer to collect cannabis, he always took Finley with him, said Marsden.
The hearing resumes on Monday.