BRETT STEELE AND BETHANY PITT FROM SWADLINCOTE SENTENCED FOR CHILD ABUSE IN DERBYSHIRE

In January 2022, a disturbing case of child cruelty emerged from Swadlincote, involving a mother and her partner who subjected a five-year-old boy to a brutal assault. The incident, which took place in the family’s home, was witnessed by the mother, Bethany Pitt, aged 29, along with other children and a friend, yet it was not reported to authorities at the time.

According to court proceedings, Brett Steele, 32, of Midland Road, Swadlincote, carried out a prolonged and violent attack on the young boy. The assault was triggered when the child, who was trying to settle down for the night, kept getting up and asking for a drink. Steele responded by physically hitting the boy multiple times, resulting in 19 injuries to his head and neck. The court described the assault as both sustained and violent, with the injuries including extensive bruising to the boy’s jaw, right side of his face, neck, and armpit.

The court heard that Steele was upstairs playing on an Xbox when the incident occurred. The boy had been put to bed but kept returning to ask for a drink and refused to settle. At one point, Steele came downstairs, grabbed the child, and began hitting him, shouting at him to stop getting up at night. The other children in the household watched the scene unfold, crying and showing concern for their brother. The young boy was so distressed that he cried himself to sleep.

Bethany Pitt, the mother, was present during the assault and witnessed the violence. Despite her awareness of what had happened, she chose not to report the incident to social services or her child’s school. Instead, she told her friend not to report it, despite her own pleas. The following day, after the child did not attend school, Pitt confided in another friend about the incident. The friend urged her to contact social services, but Pitt claimed she would handle it herself. She later told her friend that Steele had apologized and that she had told him not to do it again. However, when social services were eventually contacted by the friend, Pitt’s initial response was to deny the severity of the situation.

Medical examinations revealed the extent of the injuries, with the child suffering from multiple bruises and signs of physical abuse. Prosecutor Siward James-Moore detailed that there were 19 significant injuries, including bruising to the jaw, face, neck, and armpit. The court was told that Pitt did nothing to protect her son, despite knowing the severity of the injuries and the ongoing risk. Her failure to act was highlighted as a serious breach of her parental responsibilities.

In a victim impact statement, the child’s father described how the boy was no longer his usual self, flinching when hugged and showing signs of fear. The other children in the household also appeared scared and withdrawn, indicating the emotional toll of the incident.

Both Steele and Pitt pleaded guilty to child cruelty charges. On January 12, at Derby Crown Court, Recorder Andrew Smith QC sentenced Steele to a ten-month prison term, suspended for 18 months. He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation. Pitt received a nine-month jail sentence, also suspended for 18 months, and was instructed to undertake 25 days of rehabilitation activities. The court’s judgment underscored the gravity of the assault and the failure of the mother to protect her child, emphasizing that such violence is unjustifiable and deeply damaging to the young victim.