CARDIFF DAD GUILTY OF SHOCKING CHILD MURDER
SOCIAL services visited Matthew Scully-Hicks, a 31-year-old man, who murdered his adopted 18-month-old daughter Elsie at least 13 times without raising any concerns.Over a seven-month period, he caused multiple injuries to Elsie, including a broken leg which he claimed occurred from a fall down the stairs.
The toddler had suffered internal bleeding, retinal hemorrhages in both eyes, skull fractures, and fractures to three ribs and her leg.
On the day of her death, he had been looking after Elsie at their home in Llandaff, Cardiff, when she collapsed.
Paramedics and police arrived at 6.26pm on May 25 after Scully-Hicks called emergency services reporting Elsie was unresponsive.
She was pronounced dead shortly after arriving at the hospital, having suffered extensive injuries that included bleeding on her brain, skull fracture, rib fractures, and a leg fracture.
The court heard that Scully-Hicks's actions on the evening of May 25 were the culmination of ongoing violence and assaults against Elsie, who he had adopted with his husband Craig two weeks prior.
Despite multiple visits from social services, no concerns about abuse were raised before Elsie's death.
Scully-Hicks blamed her injuries on domestic accidents, claiming she had fallen down the stairs, but prosecutors argued that the injuries were inflicted through violence.
The court found Scully-Hicks guilty of her murder on November 6, 2017, after a four-week trial where 18 medical experts provided evidence.
He is now set to be sentenced.
The case highlighted failures in the oversight of the child's care, prompting an investigation into the social services involved.
Elsie had been placed with the couple after being taken into care shortly after her birth, and her biological mother was a drug user.
Scully-Hicks had previously expressed a desire to become a father, and the couple had discussed family plans early on.
The tragic events revealed that Scully-Hicks had played down Elsie's injuries to medical professionals and social workers, with neighbors also reporting hearing him shouting abusive words at Elsie.
The court heard Scully-Hicks refer to Elsie as "Satan in a babygro" and described her during an adoption review as "a proper diva strop." The case underscores the devastating consequences when signs of abuse are missed or ignored, culminating in Elsie's death following a series of violent assaults on her by her adoptive father.
