Toddler's grandad says mum hit son before his death - court

The grandfather of a toddler who died from a head injury told police his daughter hit her son on the head for "misbehaving" the day before he collapsed, a court has heard.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths, two, from Garden City in Flintshire, died on August 16 2021 after suffering a "catastrophic" head injury.

Ethan's grandfather Michael Ives, 47, and grandmother Kerry Ives, 46, both deny murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

Ethan's mother Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, denies causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

The court heard Michael Ives describe seeing Shannon Ives hit Ethan for throwing himself to his knees because he wanted more juice.

Speaking about the events leading up to the two-year-old's first collapse on 13 August, the jury at Mold Crown Court heard Michael Ives told police "[Ethan's] mum smacked him for misbehaving".

In a transcript from part of a police interview, the defendant, from Garden City in Flintshire, said his daughter grabbed Ethan's arms and told him to "stand up" before hitting him.

"The way she hit him was up the back of the head," he said.

He said he told her not to hit Ethan but she did not reply, adding Shannon Ives "had no patience" and was "quick-tempered".

Michael Ives said Shannon Ives then left the room and he heard a bang "like [Ethan's] head had hit the floor" before seeing the boy had fallen to the rug and was "unresponsive" for about five minutes.

He said Ethan came round after attempts to revive him and he "seemed to pick up".

Asked by police what had caused Ethan to fall, the court heard Michael Ives replied: "It could've been the smack on the head, I don't know."

He said he and his wife Kerry Ives later took Ethan shopping "to keep an eye on him" and asked Shannon Ives whether they should take him to get "checked out", but she said no.

He told police he did not want to leave Ethan with Shannon Ives following the incident "because of the way she was, the way she used to smack him up the head or on the back side of his legs".

He said he was not with her "24/7" but he would see her smack Ethan "if he was really playing up".

Michael Ives said his daughter told Ethan she hated him and he needed "to go off and live in care".

Ethan, he said, would bite his lip and draw blood. When he did this he said Shannon Ives "would slap him up his mouth" with the back of her hand.

Shortly before Ethan's final collapse, Michael Ives said his daughter took Ethan off to feed him and when they returned he had a red mark near his eye.

He said he asked Shannon Ives how he got it and she replied he must have fallen.

But he said: "It wasn't adding up. I think she was lying, that she'd given him a crack or something".

The court heard when police asked him who caused Ethan's fatal head injury, Michael Ives said: "I don't know, not me".

Asked how he would describe himself as a grandparent, he said: "I'm a good grandad".

The jury heard he no longer has any relationship with his daughter as "she'd cut us all off" which Michael Ives said was because "she can't cope with the grief" of losing Ethan.

Kerry Ives was also interviewed by police and was asked how Ethan got his fatal head injury. The court heard she responded: "I have no idea".

She said Shannon Ives would sometimes smack Ethan "up the head" even though "we told her not to".

When Michael Ives told Ethan's mother to make him stand in the corner instead, Kerry Ives said "she told us to mind our own business".

She said Shannon Ives was always using her phone, adding "even when Ethan was on the floor she was [upstairs] texting".

When Ethan collapsed on 14 August, Kerry Ives said she shouted for Shannon Ives to come downstairs to help and she said she would be down "in two minutes" as she was on her phone.

Kerry Ives said she swore at her daughter and said "never mind two minutes, he's your baby".

The trial continues.