Dad of four-week-old baby who died with broken neck jailed for life for murder
10 April 2024, 12:32 | Updated: 10 April 2024, 12:43
The father of a month-old baby who suffered "catastrophic physical abuse" has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder.
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Ollie Davis was found lifeless in his crib in the bedroom he shared with his parents in Leicester in October 2017.
He had more than 20 broken ribs and fractures to his skull, collar bone, both arms and the joints of all his limbs.
A post-mortem revealed he had died from the delayed effects of a broken neck.
Michael Davis, 29, was found guilty of his murder at Leicester Crown Court last month. He was also found guilty of two counts of grievous bodily harm with intent.
Today he has been jailed for life - with a minimum 22 years.
Michael Davis interviewed by police in 2017
Ollie's mother, Kayleigh Driver, 31, was also previously found guilty of two offences - causing or allowing the death of a child and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm.
She has been jailed for 7 years for causing or allowing his death.
'Terrible violence'
Mr Justice Cotter said medical experts confirmed Ollie suffered 23 rib fractures and other injuries usually seen after a "high energy car crash."
After saying he was sure that Davis had caused all the injuries during four separate overnight "episodes" of violence, Mr Cotter added: "At least five different mechanisms were required to cause this terrible array of injuries.
"Michael Davis, I have no doubt that during the night you became frustrated and angry and this led to terrible violence. "You assaulted him on multiple occasions.
The attacks in their various forms were also brutal - in particular the fatal neck injury."
In not seeking medical help, Davis had shown "callous indifference" to Ollie's suffering, the judge also said.
Emergency services were first called to the-then family home in Upper Temple Walk, Leicester, after Ollie was found unresponsive.
He was rushed to hospital but pronounced dead a short time later.
There were no obvious signs of injury or any illness that could explain Ollie’s death but a post-mortem examination revealed Ollie had died from the delayed effects of a broken neck, believed to have occurred up to eight days before his death.
The injury had led to the compression of the spinal cord which had caused him to stop breathing.
It was also revealed Ollie had a total of 40 bone fractures – including a fractured skull, collar bone, breaks to joints in both arms and legs and 23 rib fractures.
Davis and Driver, both of Carlisle Street, Leicester, were initially arrested on 27 October 2017 but offered no plausible account or explanation for Ollie's injuries.
The force said it was established the fractures he sustained were non-accidental and must have been caused by serious physical abuse.
The nature of the injuries also revealed they were caused by inflicting harm in different ways – incuding a blow to the head or impact against a hard surface to cause the skull fracture, severe compression of the chest to cause rib fractures, twisting of the limbs to cause the joint fractures and a pulling of the neck to cause the injury which ultimately killed Ollie.
Leicestershire Police continued the "substantial and complex" investigation for more than six years.
The force said they continued to interview Davis and Driver – who both denied any knowledge of what had happened - as well as family members and key health care professionals.
In October 2021, the pair were charged in connection with Ollie’s death and of causing the multitude of other injuries.
