A three month old baby girl died at the hands of her mother’s boyfriend, most likely by being shaken and “thrown against a surface such as into her cot,” a court heard today, Tuesday 12 January.
Although not the biological father of Millie Rose Burdett, Davey Everson had expressed the wish “to take her on and be a father to her,” after she was born, a jury was told.
However, within weeks of Millie Rose’s birth, questions had been raised about his suitability for the role and social services had become involved, it was claimed.
At St Albans Crown Court on 12 January, Mr Everson, 23, went on trial pleading not guilty to the murder of the baby who was known as Millie.
Also in the dock was the baby’s mother, 25 year old Kirsty Burdett, from Nightingale Road, Rickmansworth.
She pleads not guilty to causing or allowing the death of Millie by failing to take such steps as would be reasonably expected of her to protect the child from the risk of significant harm from Mr Everson.
Opening the prosecution’s case, David Spens QC told the jury “This case concerns the death of Millie Rose Burdett, a young baby.
“She was born on October 10 2018 and died on 11 January 2019 aged just three months.”
He told the court the baby had been admitted to hospital on 15 December 2018 with multiple fractures and a severe brain injury, from which she never recovered.
“The person alone with her at the time the fatal injuries were inflicted was Davey Everson, the partner of her mother, Kirsty Burdett,” he said.
Mr Spens went on: “He has never provided an account that explains how her injuries were caused. That is because the prosecution say the truth is he violently assaulted her in anger, most likely by shaking or throwing her against a surface such as into a cot.”
“The prosecution case against Miss Burdett is that she failed to take reasonable steps to protect MIllie from Mr Everson despite the clear signs that he posed a serious risk to her; that is the case in a nutshell,” he said
The court heard he would visit Kirsty regularly at her home in Morningside, Nightingale Road, Rickmansworth and stay with her at weekends.
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