A South London couple who beat their baby to death have been jailed.Devaun Rose-Turner died at just eight months in December 2021, having been left with over 80 injuries in two months before he died(Image: Bedfordshire Police)A South London couple who beat their baby to death have been jailed. Devaun Rose-Turner died at just eight months in December 2021, having been left with over 80 injuries in two months before he died. The emergency services raced to the Bedfordshire home at about 7am on December 11 2021 after Devaun’s dad, Emmanuel Turner, called to say he wasn’t breathing.Devaun was pronounced dead later that morning. Parents Emmanuel Turner and Shandies Rose of Hurstbourne Road, Forest Hill, were arrested on suspicion of murder in 2022 but were released under investigation while detectives tried to build a picture of what happened.Detectives worked closely with medical and forensic experts to piece together the circumstances surrounding the death, with the extent and pattern of injuries indicating repeated episodes of physical abuse. Investigators also established that Devaun had been in the sole care of his parents throughout that period.In August that year, detectives learned the pair had fled it to Nigeria. They came back on May 10 last year and were arrested at the airport, charged, and held on remand.Turner, 34, and Rose, 29, both of Hurstbourne Road, London, were also both convicted of causing or allowing a child to suffer significant harmDuring the trial, the court heard how their son had suffered more than 80 separate injuries during the eight weeks leading up to his death.Emmanuel Turner, 34, was today sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday (June 3) with a minimum term of 22 years for the murder of his son. Shandies Rose, 29, was found not guilty of murder but convicted of manslaughter, and was jailed for 12 years.They were also both convicted of causing or allowing a child to suffer significant harm. They were sentenced to eight years and seven years, respectively, to run concurrently.Judge, the Honourable Mrs Justice Farbey KC, said: “Both of you knew about his pain. Both of you decided to keep it hidden so he received no medical help.”Detective Inspector Lee Martin, who led the investigation, said: “This was a complex and deeply challenging investigation into the sustained abuse and tragic death of a baby behind closed doors.“From the outset, our focus was on establishing exactly what happened to Devaun and securing justice for him, with our team working tirelessly to ensure he was given a voice.“Nothing can undo what happened to him, but today’s sentence reflects the persistence of our officers in ensuring that those who should have cared and protected for him have been held accountable for the abuse he suffered.“Our thoughts will always remain with Devaun – sleep well, little man.”Don’t miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more
Baby boy died after weeks of abuse as parents jailed for killing him
