A Nigerian has been found guilty in London of murdering his partner’s three-year-old nephew after the child wet the bed they were sharing.
Ben Igbinedion, 44, inflicted “catastrophic” injuries upon Daniel Evbuomwan that were so severe they were likened to those caused by a car crash.
Igbinedion, of Bromley, South London, had put Daniel back to sleep in a different bed but when family members tried to wake him in the morning, he did not respond.
The youngster suffered multiple injuries to his ribs and multiple fractures to his pelvis.
They were described by Professor Anthony Risdon, who carried out a post-mortem examination, as “among the most severe he had seen.”
Daniel had been living with his grandmother, Rosemary, since earlier this year and was in normal physical health, but all that dramatically changed when he went to stay with Igbinedion and his family in March, the court heard.
Daniel’s grandmother had wanted to go shopping and to church, so it was decided he should stay with his aunt, Sandra Okundaye, a nurse, and her partner, Igbinedion, jurors were told.
Ms Okundaye was away working that night and Igbinedion was left in charge of looking after Daniel and his three children, the trial heard.
At bedtime, Igbinedion stated that Daniel and his youngest son should sleep in his room, while the other children slept in their own room, it was claimed.
In the early hours of the morning on March 2, one of the children was woken by Igbinedion telling off Daniel for wetting the bed, the court heard.
Giving his own evidence, Igbinedion told the court that he treated the boy as if he was his own son.
Igbinedion claimed he woke Daniel up at 5:30 a.m to use the toilet before returning the boy to the children’s bedroom and turning the light off.
He accepted the youngster had been well during the day but could not explain what happened.
Daniel’s cousins had tried to wake the boy but after several attempts, he slumped from the bed to the floor.
He was taken to University Hospital in Lewisham, South East London, where he was pronounced dead at 11:25 a.m.
Igbinedion, who denied murder but was convicted at the Old Bailey, is due to be sentenced on November 27.
Source: Tribune
