MOTHER AND PARTNER JAILED FOR KILLING OF TWO-YEAR-OLD IN ABUSE CAPTURED ON PHONE
A child murderer who killed his ex-girlfriend’s two-year-old son has received a life sentence after the pair’s brutal abuse was secretly recorded.Kemar Brown was sentenced to a minimum of 25 years in prison for the death of Kyrell Matthews in Thornton Heath, Croydon.
The young boy, described as vulnerable, sustained 41 fractured ribs after enduring weeks of abuse by his mother and her partner before he died in October 2019.
At the Old Bailey on Friday, Brown, aged 28, was convicted of murder and was subsequently sentenced.
His partner, 24-year-old Phylesia Shirley, was found guilty of manslaughter an offence less severe than murder and received a 13-year custodial term.
Audio recordings from Shirley’s phone, played during the trial, revealed distressed cries and screams from Kyrell, who was non-verbal.
The recordings captured moments of violence, including Brown’s commands such as “Shut up” and remarks like “You have to ruin the fun,” as well as Shirley assaulting her son, which made him break down in tears.
Prosecutor Edward Brown QC told the court that Shirley prioritised her relationship with Brown over her responsibilities as a mother.
Both defendants, unemployed at the time of Kyrell’s death and known to use cannabis, had been subject to social services visits in the past.
He stated, “(Shirley) was prepared to reject what should have been motherly care in protecting Kyrell in favour of abuse by her his own mother and in favour of the abuse carried out by a man she knew was abusing her child,” Following Kyrell’s collapse at home on October 20, 2019, Shirley was heard on a 111 call sobbing as a clinical advisor instructed her on resuscitation efforts, including “push down fast” and “go for it.” The trial court did not hear evidence from either defendant; however, the defence argued that Brown’s injuries resulted from incorrect resuscitation advice.
Outside court, Kyrell’s paternal step-grandmother, Christine Ernest, praised him as “the most loving little boy, always smiling”.
It was also revealed that police had previously responded to a domestic incident at the family’s flat in July 2019, triggered by shouting and screaming.
No charges were filed, and Kyrell was reportedly considered “safe and well” at the time.
Earlier, in May 2019, Kyrell suffered a serious injury to his face after an incident that led to his five-day hospital stay.
Croydon University Hospital’s investigation concluded that the injury was plausibly caused by a fall from a sofa and hitting his head on a highchair, according to police reports.
