What started as a quiet summer in a North Wales town turned into one of the most horrifying child abuse cases the country has seen in years.
Two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths died after suffering unimaginable neglect and violence—his final days filled with pain, captured in chilling CCTV footage that stunned a courtroom and broke the hearts of many.
At the centre of it all were the very people meant to protect him—his own grandparents and his mother.
Heartbreaking Footage Reveals Abuse in Plain Sight
CCTV footage presented in court left jurors and the public shaken.
It showed 47-year-old Michael Ives, Ethan’s grandfather, dragging the toddler across the garden “like a bag of rubbish.”
In one clip from August 4, 2021, Michael lifted the little boy by the top of his arm after he had clutched his head in pain on a trampoline.
Later footage appeared to show him punching Ethan after placing him into a car seat.
Despite denying all charges, both Michael and his wife Kerry Ives, 46, were found guilty of Ethan’s murder.
They were also convicted of child cruelty. The jury reached their decision in just seven hours.
A Family in Denial, A Child Left to Suffer
Ethan had been staying with his grandparents in Garden City, Flintshire, along with his mother Shannon Ives, 28.
On August 14, 2021, the toddler collapsed at home while Shannon was upstairs on the phone. He died two days later in hospital.
Post-mortem examinations revealed Ethan had a catastrophic head injury.
But his suffering didn’t stop there—he was also severely underweight at just 10kg, covered in over 40 bruises, and so dehydrated that doctors said he would have died within days regardless of the head trauma.
The Missed Red Flags and Failed Safeguards
Despite being on the child protection register—which required he be seen every 10 days—Ethan slipped through the cracks.
A social worker, Michael Cornish, had attempted a visit on August 5, but was turned away with the excuse that Ethan was “napping.”
A scheduled health visitor appointment for August 13 was cancelled.
Tragically, the last public sighting of Ethan came from CCTV footage at Broughton Retail Park on the same day.
A Timeline of Ethan’s Final Months
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April 2019: Ethan was born to Shannon Ives.
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June 2021: Shannon fled domestic violence and briefly stayed with her sister before moving in with her parents.
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July–August 2021: CCTV captured increasingly concerning footage of Ethan being handled aggressively by Michael Ives.
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August 14: Ethan collapsed at home; 999 was called 18 minutes later.
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August 16: Ethan passed away at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital.
The Courtroom Shock and Disturbing Testimonies
Throughout the five-and-a-half-week trial at Mold Crown Court, jurors saw disturbing footage and heard gut-wrenching evidence.
Michael Ives admitted to being “ashamed” of what he saw in the video and conceded he had been cruel.
Yet, both he and Kerry continued to deny that they caused the fatal injury.
Medical experts were clear: Ethan’s death was not an accident.
The brain injury was caused by violent shaking or a blow, occurring just before his collapse.
A Mother’s Role Under Scrutiny
Shannon Ives, Ethan’s mother, was found guilty of causing or allowing his death and child cruelty.
She testified that her parents had abused her as a child and painted them as “horrible” people.
The Ives couple, on the other hand, claimed Shannon was quick-tempered and used to hit Ethan.
What’s undeniable is that Shannon failed to protect her child.
Despite seeing that he was dangerously thin, she never took him to the doctor.
“He Was Just a Bag of Rubbish”
Perhaps the most haunting description came from prosecutor Caroline Rees KC, who said Michael Ives treated Ethan “as though he was just a bag of rubbish to be slung out.”
The CCTV showed him pointing a garden hose at Ethan and even motioning for another child to strike him.
Experts said Ethan likely already had brain damage when this video was filmed—proof, they said, that he was being violently mistreated long before his collapse.
The Final Moments and Delayed Emergency Call
On the night of August 14, Ethan collapsed in the living room while Michael and Kerry Ives were watching television.
Shannon was upstairs on the phone.
Kerry called out for her daughter but didn’t call emergency services for another 18 minutes.
When paramedics arrived, Ethan was rushed to hospital, but the damage was already too severe.
Life Sentences Ahead as Justice Awaits
After nearly seven hours of deliberation, the jury returned their verdicts.
Mr Justice Griffiths told jurors they could be exempt from future jury duty due to the disturbing nature of the case.
He confirmed that both Michael and Kerry Ives would be sentenced to life in prison.
Shannon Ives is also expected to receive a substantial prison sentence when the final judgment is delivered on October 3.