Joseph Eke jailed for life for murdering partner’s two-year-old son Harry House
Written by News on 05/06/2017
A man who inflicted "catastrophic" injuries on his partner’s two-year-old when he "lost his temper" has been jailed for life for the toddler’s murder.
Joseph Eke showed no emotion as he was sentenced to serve a minimum of 18 years for the killing of Harry House in May last year.
The 22-year-old was found guilty of murder and causing grievous bodily harm following a three-week trial at Winchester Crown Court.
He had carried out the deadly assault in the few minutes he was left alone with Harry at the family home in Broadmayne, Dorset, while the boy’s mother had gone to the shops.
The prosecution told the court the youngster died after being struck so hard in the abdomen, probably by punching or kicking, that his pancreas split in two.
Harry also suffered a skull fracture in the attack.
In a statement read to the court, Harry’s mother Lauren O’Neill, 22, said of the defendant: "He has ruined so many people’s lives and not shown an ounce of remorse.
"We are truly heart-broken, he was such a special boy."
Sentencing Eke, the judge, Mrs Justice May, told him : "You wilfully, fatally, failed Harry when you assaulted him, taking his life."
She added that Miss O’Neill had been "in denial" about the abuse carried out by Eke in the last days of Harry’s life which had left him covered in bruises and suffering from broken ribs which was the subject of the GBH charge.
She said: "No-one will ever know the full extent of your mistreatment of Harry."
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Derbyshire said: "Joseph Eke subjected two-and-a-half-year-old Harry House to a violent episode that resulted in his death."
She added: "Above all, my heartfelt thoughts are with Harry’s family. It has been an absolutely terrible time for them and still continues to be so, with the loss of little Harry from their lives.
"I can only hope that today’s sentence is of some comfort to them."
Eke, of St Lawrence Road, Upwey, Weymouth, had denied the offences and had told the court: "I didn’t kill him, I wouldn’t kill him. I wouldn’t harm a kid."
(c) Sky News 2017: Joseph Eke jailed for life for murdering partner’s two-year-old son Harry House
