Devil Dad Violently Shook Adopted Baby To Death

#1

Personal trainer Matthew Scully-Hicks and his husband Craig appeared to have everything - a happy marriage, two longed-for children, financial stability and a close circle of family and friends. But behind closed doors, he was struggling to cope, violently losing his temper.

#2

Scully-Hicks denies murdering Elsie. Giving evidence at Cardiff crown court, Scully-Hicks said he had changed Elsie for bed in the lounge then went into the kitchen. “As I went into the room, Elsie was in a similar position on the floor,” he told the jury.

#3

“I thought she was asleep or watching the telly. As I got closer she didn’t acknowledge me coming in the room, which for her was strange. I got a little closer again and then called her. There was no response. I got closer and gave her a gentle tap and there was no response at all. I phoned for the ambulance.”

#4

When asked if he could offer any explanation for her injuries, Scully-Hicks replied: “No.”

He also answered “no” when asked if he had caused her injuries, and insisted he had told the truth about what had happened. “I am not to blame,” he said. “I didn’t cause those injuries.”

#5

Social workers visited the family fortnightly as the baby settled into her new family.

Health visitor Jodie Golten saw Elsie on three occasions. She said: "She was a happy, smiley child. Loving life, I suppose... smiles all around." She first visited Elsie a month after she moved in with the couple and wrote in her notes: "She appears to have a lovely, bond growing with Matt. Both giving lovely eye contact and playing together."

#6

Neighbours said they had heard Matthew Scully-Hicks shout and sound "exasperated and frustrated" when looking after Elsie. They reported hearing him swearing at the infant and repeatedly telling the crying child to "shut up".

#7

On the day of Elsie's death, Scully-Hicks took her shopping for an outfit for her to wear at a party to celebrate her adoption with family and friends. He sent pictures of outfits at Marks & Spencer to his husband and purchased one for Elsie to wear. But instead, he shook her and then threw her to the ground, leaving his daughter fatally injured.

#8

Paramedics and police arrived at the property at 6.26pm on May 25 and found Elsie not breathing, with no pulse, in the lounge. Medics discovered she had suffered from three separate areas of bleeding on her brain, retinal bleeding, a skull fracture, three rib fractures and a leg fracture. A cardiac arrest caused further brain injury and Elsie died in the early hours of May 29.

#9

The court heard Scully-Hicks also sent messages to husband Craig calling Elsie "a psycho'" and "Satan dressed up in a Babygro."

When asked about describing Elsie as “Satan dressed up in a babygrow”, he said: “I wouldn’t have said it in malice.”

In another message, he said, “she pretty much looks and sounds like the exorcist to be fair. We were just having a joke at the time,” he said.

Child protection chiefs will now grill social workers over whether they missed chances to save Elsie from her abusive adoptive father.

#10

Elsie's case will now be considered as part of a child practice review (CPR) - a review which is triggered whenever a child dies or is seriously injured and abuse or neglect are thought to have been involved. The review will consider whether there are lessons to be learned which may prevent another child suffering the same fate as Elsie.