Baby Millie-Rose Burdett was rushed to hospital by paramedics on 15 December 2018 after they were called to the mother’s home in Rickmansworth just before 1pm.
Davey Everson, aged 23, from Edmonton, North London, claimed that Millie-Rose, known as Millie, had choked while he was alone feeding her but doctors discovered that the new born had suffered a number of serious injuries over a protracted period of time.
These included a bleed to the brain due to head trauma, fractures to multiple ribs, leg fractures and compression fractures to her spine. Medical experts believe that Millie had been shaken ‘violently and forcefully’ on more than one occasion.
The court heard that Everson caused the final, fatal injury to Millie by shaking her and throwing her against a surface such as into her cot.
The baby girl tragically died in hospital aged just three months on 11 January 2019 after intensive care support was withdrawn.
Yesterday (Thursday 4 February), following a trial lasting just over three weeks at St Albans Crown Court, the jury unanimously convicted Everson of murder. He was also convicted of a charge of cruelty to a person aged under 16 involving another young child who cannot be named for legal reasons.
The baby’s mother, 25-year-old Kirsty Burdett stood trial alongside Everson for causing/allowing the death of her baby daughter and the neglect of a person aged under 16, which relates to another young child who cannot be named for legal reasons. She was convicted of both charges.
Senior Investigating Officer Detective Inspector Iain Macpherson, from the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said: “This is a tragic and heart-breaking case that has resulted in the death of an innocent baby.
“Everson is a dangerous and cruel man who has showed no remorse for what he has done. He made no comment throughout police interviews and has never explained how defenceless Millie-Rose suffered her fatal injuries.
“Burdett put her own interests before her child and failed in her fundamental duty to keep her safe from harm. She protected Everson, telling others that bruising to her baby’s face had been caused by her falling from a car seat when in fact Everson was responsible. On another occasion Burdett witnessed Everson force a bottle into Mille-Rose’s mouth causing it to bleed but despite this Burdett still left her daughter alone with Everson and continued her relationship with him.
“Our focus was to achieve justice for Millie-Rose, and this investigation has given her a voice.”
Everson and Burdett are both due to be sentenced at The Old Bailey in London on Friday 12 February.
