Warning: This article contains details that readers may find distressing.
Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths arrived at his hospital in August 2021 covered in bruises, painfully thin, and suffering from catastrophic brain injuries. Doctors at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool could do no more. On 16 August, his life support was withdrawn.
It would take nearly four years before the truth of what happened to Ethan emerged in one of the most harrowing child cruelty cases North Wales Police had ever faced.
> “What happened, happened behind closed doors. Nobody has been prepared to tell the truth,” said Det Supt Chris Bell.
A Pact of Silence
This week at Mold Crown Court, Ethan’s grandparents, Michael and Kerry Ives, were found guilty of murder and child cruelty. Prosecutors revealed how the pair entered into a pact to conceal the abuse that led to their grandson’s death.
Ethan’s mother, Shannon Ives, was also convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and of child cruelty. The jury concluded that she had failed to protect her son and shared responsibility for the suffering he endured.
A Decline into Neglect
Ethan was placed in the care of his grandparents in June 2021 following a domestic dispute between Shannon and his father, Will Griffiths. Within weeks, Shannon herself had moved back into the family home on Kingsley Road, Garden City, Flintshire.
Kerry Ives told jurors that Ethan had been a “bubbly little child” and “chubby” when he first arrived. But by mid-August, when he was rushed to hospital, he was dangerously malnourished, dehydrated, and covered in more than 40 bruises.
He seemed like a child that hadn’t been looked after.
— Nurse, Antonia Chaddar
Nurse Antonia Chaddar recalled:
> “He seemed like a child that hadn’t been looked after. He had a pot belly you would see in very malnourished children. I see a lot of ill children — and they don’t look like that.”
Fatal Head Injuries
Paediatric neurosurgeon Jayaratnam Jayamohan described Ethan’s brain as so swollen that he was essentially “having a stroke to a whole half of his brain.” Surgery, he said, would have been “hopeful at best” and the toddler was “probably going to die.”
The cause of injury was either a direct impact or being shaken violently. Police concluded the fatal blow occurred when only Michael and Kerry were present.
CCTV Evidence
The breakthrough came from hours of CCTV footage taken around the Ives’ home. Investigators reviewed more than 1,100 hours of recordings, which showed Michael Ives repeatedly handling Ethan roughly.
One harrowing clip showed the grandfather dragging the toddler by one arm across the garden after yanking him from a trampoline.
“You held him like a rag doll, didn’t you,” — Gordon Cole KC
“You held him like a rag doll, didn’t you,” prosecutor Gordon Cole KC challenged.
“I know, there’s no excuse,” Michael Ives replied.
Det Con Lee Harshey-Jones, who examined the footage, said:
“The CCTV clearly shows Michael Ives was the main physical abuser of Ethan. Without it, it would have been very difficult to get the full picture.”
Missed Chances to Intervene
Ethan was already on a child protection register. Social workers should have visited every 10 days but were repeatedly turned away by the family with claims of Covid isolation. Shannon later admitted these were lies.
On 13 August, Ethan collapsed for the first time, becoming unresponsive for several minutes. No medical help was sought. The following day, he collapsed again and never recovered.
Blame and Denial
Throughout the trial, all three defendants sought to shift responsibility. Michael Ives admitted being “cruel and neglectful” but denied causing fatal injuries. Kerry claimed, “It wasn’t me or Michael.” Shannon, meanwhile, told the court she feared her father and blamed him entirely.
Yet, as Det Supt Bell stressed, the medical evidence pointed to an “instantaneous” act of violence carried out while only the grandparents were in the room.
“It Should Have Been the Safest Place”
For the detectives who led the inquiry, the case left an indelible mark.
“I can’t just leave it in the office and forget about it. I’ll take it home in my mind. It won’t be a case I’ll forget easily” –‘ DC Harshey-Jones
DC Harshey-Jones admitted:
> “I can’t just leave it in the office and forget about it. I’ll take it home in my mind. It won’t be a case I’ll forget easily. I feel proud that we were able to do this for Ethan. He had his life ahead of him and he didn’t deserve any of it.”
Det Supt Bell added:
> “It should have been the safest place for Ethan — a place of love and security. Instead, he was treated cruelly. Only Michael and Kerry can answer why.”