A man who shook his girlfriend’s baby daughter to death was sentenced to life imprisonment on Friday, February 12, 2021.
Davey Everson was told by a judge at the Old Bailey that he must serve 18 years before he can be considered for release.
Everson, 23, was convicted earlier this month at St Albans Crown Court, of the murder of tiny Millie Rose Burdett who was just three months old when she died.
The baby’s mother, 25-year-old Kirsty Burdett, who failed to protect her daughter against Everson, and even lied for him, was sentenced to six years.
Millie, as she was known during her short life, was born on October 10, 2018 and was admitted to hospital on December 15 of that year having suffered multiple fractures and a severe brain injury from which she never recovered.
She died in a coma on January 11, 2019 when her life support system was turned off.
Everson, now 23, but 21 at the time, wasn’t the father of the baby, but had begun a relationship with Kirsty Burdett in 2018 who was then pregnant with Millie, having broken up with the father.
Burdett had been accompanied by Everson to Watford General Hospital Hospital to have her baby, and he had told her he was keen to take the child on and be a father to her.
However, soon after the mother and baby returned home to Nightingale Road in Rickmansworth, Herts there were concerns about his suitability to be a father to the tiny infant.
He was “heavy-handed” and “rough” around the child and caused bruising to her face when he winded her.
Everson, who had by now moved in with Burdett, was referred for parenting classes by the social worker.
One witness said he had “shoved the bottle hard into her mouth saying f…… drink it – take it you f…… bitch.”
Everson had gone on trial in January of this year pleading not guilty to the murder of the baby.
In the dock with him was Burdett, 25, who pleaded not guilty to causing or allowing the death of Millie by failing to take such steps as would be reasonably expected of her to protect the child from the risk of significant harm from Everson.
Both defendants were also convicted of cruelty to a person under 16 years for their treatment of another child who cannot be identified due to ongoing reporting restrictions
At the trial Prosecutor David Spens QC told the jury: “He has never provided an account that explains how her injuries were caused. That is because the prosecution say the truth is he violently assaulted her in anger, most likely by shaking or throwing her against a surface such as into a cot.”
“The prosecution case against Miss Burdett is that she failed to take reasonable steps to protect MIllie from Mr Everson despite the clear signs that he posed a serious risk to her; that is the case in a nutshell,” he said.
He said from early on it became apparent that there was cause for concern about Everson, his treatment of Kirsty Burdett and his suitability as a parent to Millie.
The jury was told he was “aggressive and verbally unpleasant” towards Burdett and was “rough and violent” towards her new baby daughter.
“It is plain now Millie suffered injuries of varying degrees of severity during her short life,” said Mr Spens
The court was told around a month after her birth, Millie had bruises on her cheeks caused by Everson.
On November 17, 2018, police attended Miss Burdett’s home after she and the defendant had been heard arguing.
In a police report, it had been recorded: “There has been a verbal argument between the couple due to the stress of their one month old baby. No offence has been disclosed.”
That same month, said the prosecutor, in a phone call to a social worker, Everson said a bruise to the baby’ face had been caused accidentally as he was “burping” her.
During the call, the court was told, the social worker could hear Miss Burdett in the background who was plainly able to listen into what was being said.
Mr Spens said: “Pausing there, is winding a possible explanation for bruises to a baby’s face? If not, Davey Everson has injured Millie and lied to Social Services, with Kirsty Burdett’s acquiescence.”
On Tuesday, November 20, 2018, said Mr Spens, Millie Rose was taken to Watford General Hospital after she had been “screaming in pain.”
He said it was subsequently diagnosed she was suffering from “colic,” a term used when a baby cries a lot but there’s no obvious cause.
But, following her death, the post-mortem examination was to reveal fractures to the baby’s ribs that had been sustained at some point around November 18.
“Was that the injury that was causing Millie’s discomfort and pain, that lead to Kirsty Burdett taking her to the hospital on or round about November 20? If so, could Kirsty Burdett not be aware of what caused it?” said Mr Spend.
On another occasion, to explain bruising to Millie Rose’s face, Kirsty Burdett is said to have told her mother that she had fallen from a car seat which had not properly fitted her buggy.
After the baby’s death she was interviewed and said it was a lie and that her boyfriend had caused the bruising.
“She was, she said, covering up for him,” said the prosecutor.
He went on “By December it must have been clear to Kirsty Burdett that Davey Everson had serious problems with controlling his anger,” said the prosecutor, who he said posed a continuing and serious risk to the baby.
“However, rather than reporting his behaviour and ending the relationship, Kirsty Burdett had defended him, covered up for him,” he said.
The court was told that, following a 999 call made from the mother’s phone on December 15, during which the operator was told by Everson that Millie wasn’t breathing properly, she was taken by ambulance from her home to Watford General Hospital.
Mr Spens said he told a police officer who went to the house that he had been feeding the baby from a bottle of milk in a bedroom and when he tried to burp her, her head and arms went backwards and she became floppy.
At the hospital a CT scan showed the baby was suffering from a bleed on her brain which, said the prosecutor, suggested a “strong possibility of a non-accidental injury having taken place.”
She had bruises on her left forearm and left forehead.
Later that day Mr Everson was arrested at the hospital on suspicion of attempted murder.
Millie was transferred from Watford General Hospital to Kings College Hospital in London
In a police interview he declined to answer questions and gave officers a prepared statement in which he said:” At no time did I cause any harm to Millie Rose. I do not wish to make any further comment.”
In Miss Burdett’s first interview with police officers, Mrs Spens said she told them her boyfriend could be “heavy handed” with the baby and went on: “All I can think he’s put the milk in too far down; she’s drunk too much – that’s why she has choked. But that doesn’t explain the bleed on the brain …”
It was also discovered the baby had suffered multiple fractures of different ages to both sides of her chest and to the front and back ribs.
In addition, she had a fracture to her right femur and a fracture to her left tibia which, said Mr Spens, was “consistent with the to and fro from movement of the legs during violent shaking.”
He said although the fractures the baby had suffered were non-life threatening, the brain injury was severe and, unable to breathe on her own, she was put on a ventilator.
She continued to remain in a coma and the opinions of the neurology and neuroradiology teams were that her head injuries were so severe that there was little hope of independent survival.
On January 11, 2019, Mr Spens said it was determined that on-going intensive care support was futile and would be withdrawn.
Millie died that day aged just three months.
A post mortem was carried out on Millie on January 17, 2019
A number of forensic examinations were undertaken involving experts to establish the cause of death.
Dr Nathaniel Cary, a highly experienced consultant forensic pathologist commented on the findings and said that the case was towards the upper end of severity in terms of examples of shaking impact, because of the nature and extent of skeletal injury.
In his report he said: “The case is typical of what might be called a shake-throw mechanism, where an infant is subjected to shaking, in this case severe, and thrown down onto an unyielding surface or some upright structure.”
The jury was told Millie’s death resulted from traumatic head injury.
After the verdict earlier this month Senior Crown Prosecutor, Rebecca Waller for the Crown Prosecution Service said: “This is a tragic case of a defenceless infant who suffered horrendous treatment at the hands of a violent man and was failed by her mother, who had a duty to protect her from harm.
“Both defendants repeatedly lied about Millie Rose’s frequent injuries. However, evidence from medical experts has enabled us to get to the truth of what happened to her during her short life, and secure Everson’s conviction for her untimely death.
“The jury have also concluded that Millie Rose’s mother did not take the steps she could and should have taken to keep her child safe, ultimately causing or allowing her death.”
