A mother and father are facing lengthy jail terms after they were convicted of the brutal death of their eight-month-old son. Devaun Rose-Turner died from more than 80 injuries cruelly inflicted during the last eight weeks of his tragic life. They included 76 rib fractures, fractures to his spine, upper jaw and nose and severe stomach rupture.

During the seven week trial, Emmanuel Turner, 33, claimed his son had suffered his severe injuries from falling down the stairs after which he performed CPR. He told Luton Crown Court that Devaun's mother, Shandies Rose, 29, had gone to bed and called 999 the following morning when they awoke to find their son in a life threatening condition. But neighbours in Biggleswade, Bedfordshire, described hearing loud noises during the night which they described as a 'baby crying', a 'loud thud', 'banging', arguing and a woman 'screaming'.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC said there was no way parents of a child Devaun's age could have 'failed to know' about the type of injuries he had suffered over a prolonged period. The verdict concluded that they had both inflicted, encouraged or assisted in the infliction of their son's injuries.

"He died as a result of complications [from] serious injuries that he had suffered in the latter stages of his short life. Many of the injuries had been inflicted in the last 12 hours or so," the prosecutor added.

Turner - a sub-contractor for HM Passport Office, who had a business management degree, with hopes to open a real estate investment firm - took the stand. He denied his partner caused the injuries and that he had fallen down the stairs while carrying Devaun a few hours before calling 999.

He told jurors he attempted CPR when he awoke to find that his little boy was not breathing and had checked him for 'any cuts or any injury' but not found any. The fall or CPR may have 'unintentionally' been the cause of his son's death, he added. Asked why he had not mentioned the fall when calling 999 and speaking to paramedics and police, Turner replied: "I don't recall mentioning it, I think because I was focused on Devaun. I made a mistake by not mentioning it and I understand that."

During the trial, Rose, who was unemployed at the time of her son's death refused to take the stand. She had previously been an assistant at a London nursery and planned 'one day to own her own nursery.'

The couple, who met outside a Tesco in Hackney, east London, in the summer of 2019, had fled abroad when they were initially released pending further investigation into their son's death. They were charged after returning to the UK earlier this year.

Detective Inspector Lee Martin, who led the investigation for the Bedfordshire, Cambridgeshire and Hertfordshire Major Crime Unit, said after the conviction: "This investigation uncovered a deeply disturbing pattern of harm inflicted on Devaun by someone who should have cared for and protected him."

"The pain he endured would have been unmistakable in his behaviour, yet his parents ignored the signs and betrayed him repeatedly – even after his death, when Turner attempted to hide what happened in his final hours."

"Despite the complexity and emotional weight of this case, those involved remained determined to uncover the truth, ensure accountability, and give Devaun the voice he was denied, making sure his tragic story is neither overlooked nor forgotten. We remember Devaun, whose short life was taken in circumstances no child should ever have to suffer."