Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths died after suffering a fatal head injury at the home of his grandparents, Michael and Kerry Ives, in Flintshire, North Wales, in August 2021.
The PA news agency looks back at the events that led up to the toddler’s death.
April 27 2019 – Ethan Ives-Griffiths is born to his mother Shannon Ives.
June 9 2021 – Police are called to the home of Shannon Ives in Mold, where her partner Will Griffiths is arrested for controlling and coercive behaviour. She and Ethan Ives-Griffiths are taken to safety and later move in with her sister in Garden City, Deeside.
June 24 2021 – Ethan moves into the home of his grandparents, Michael and Kerry Ives, in Kingsley Road, Garden City, while his mother continues to live with her sister. The toddler stays for a brief period before returning to his mother.
July 16 2021 – Ethan and Shannon Ives move into the home on Kingsley Road.
July 22 2021 – Social worker Michael Cornish attends the home of Shannon Ives’s sister for a visit, but is told she has moved. He then attends the Kingsley Road home, where he sees Ethan and speaks to Shannon. He tells her Ethan is on the child protection register and there is a requirement for him to be seen every 10 days.
August 4 2021 – CCTV footage from the back garden shows Ethan on a trampoline. He is seen being carried by his grandfather, Michael Ives, by the top of his arm. Expert medical witnesses said Ethan appeared to have already sustained some brain injury at the time, based on the way he appeared in the footage.
August 5 2021 – Mr Cornish contacts Shannon Ives to arrange a visit. They have a conversation about the family needing to isolate due to Covid. Just after 3pm, he attended the house but did a doorstep visit and was told Ethan was having a nap.
August 9 2021 – A core group meeting is due to be held, involving social services professionals and Shannon Ives. Shannon Ives does not attend. She messages Mr Cornish to say she is not feeling well, but later accepts that was not true.
August 12 2021 – Ethan is seen on CCTV leaving the house for the first time since August 4. Footage shows him being carried by his arm by Michael Ives into the car. Ives appears to hit out twice with his arm once the toddler is in his car seat. Health visitor Ellie Jones and Mr Cornish attempt to visit the home, but there is no answer at the door.
August 13 2021 – According to what the Ives family will later tell police, Ethan collapses on this day, but no medical attention is sought. A planned visit with the health visitor is cancelled by Shannon Ives. Footage shows Ethan is taken to Tesco by his grandparents. The prosecution alleges Michael Ives is seen mimicking Ethan’s walk when he returns to the home. Mr Cornish tries to phone Shannon Ives, but there is no response.
August 14 2021 – 9.02pm – Shannon Ives is on the phone when her mother shouts for her to come downstairs because Ethan has collapsed. Michael and Kerry Ives were in the living room with their grandson when this happened, but both told police nothing had happened to cause him to faint.
9.20pm – Kerry Ives rings 999 and paramedics are called to the address and take the toddler to hospital.
August 16 2021 – Ethan is pronounced dead at 6pm in Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
