A man who murdered his girlfriend’s new born baby when he was alone feeding her has today (February 12) been sentenced to life imprisonment.
He must serve a minimum of 18 years before he will be eligible for release.
Davey Everson, aged 23, was convicted of murdering baby Millie-Rose Burdett following a trial lasting almost three and a half weeks at St Albans Crown Court.
He was also found guilty of cruelty to another child who cannot be identified for legal reasons.
On the afternoon of December 15, 2018 paramedics were called to Millie-Rose’s home in Rickmansworth to reports she had choked.
The baby’s mother, Kirsty Burdett, was in another room at the time of the incident.
Millie-Rose, known as Millie, was just two months old when she was rushed to hospital. Despite the best efforts of medics she never regained consciousness and tragically died aged three months on January 11, 2019.
Medical examinations revealed that baby Millie had not choked but that Everson, from Edmonton in North London, had caused catastrophic head injuries by violently shaking her and throwing her against a hard surface, most likely into her cot.
Doctors also discovered that during her short life Millie had suffered a number of significant injuries.
These included fractures to multiple ribs, leg fractures and compression fractures to her spine.
Doctors believe that Millie had been shaken ‘violently and forcefully’ before as well.
Sentencing him at the Old Bailey in London today, The Honourable Mrs Justice Cheema-Grubb described Millie as ‘particularly vulnerable’ and said Everson “caused her acute and lasting pain for half of her short life due to forceful and sustained assaults”.
Everson was sentenced to a minimum of 18 years in prison for Millie’s murder and four months, to run concurrently, for cruelty to another child.
Millie’s mother, 23-year-old Kirsty Burdett, who stood trial alongside Everson, was convicted on February 4 of causing/allowing the death of her baby daughter because she failed to protect Millie from Everson and had even covered up for him when Millie suffered visible bruising.
She was also found guilty of neglecting another child.
Burdett was today sentenced to six years in prison for causing/allowing the death of her daughter and two months for neglect, to run concurrently.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Iain MacPherson from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit said: “This is a really tragic and heart-breaking case. Little Millie-Rose spent much of her short life in pain due to Everson’s cruelty. He has never shown any remorse or explained why he assaulted her.
“I would like to recognise the dedicated work of medical staff who tried to save Millie-Rose, and those medical experts who in the absence of any explanation from Everson, were relied upon to determine what happened to her.
“Thanks also go to Detective Constable Vicki Twyford who was commended by the judge today.
“Our thoughts are with the family members who genuinely cared for and loved Millie-Rose.”
Following the sentencing Millie’s father said: “The loss I feel at the moment and have done for the last two years is something words can’t explain, there is a hole that will never be replaced.
“I am glad that justice has been served.
“I would like to place on record my thanks to the police and the Judge and jury for all their work in bringing justice for my daughter.”
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