Toddler's mum says grandparents 'took him' from her

The mother of a toddler allegedly murdered by his grandparents told police "I would never kill my son – my parents took him away from me," a court has heard.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths, two, from Garden City in Flintshire, died on 16 August 2021 after suffering a "catastrophic" head injury.

Ethan's grandfather Michael Ives, 47, and grandmother Kerry Ives, 46, both deny murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

Ethan's mother Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, Flintshire, denies causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.

On Tuesday, the jury at Mold Crown Court was read extracts of a police interview with Shannon Ives on 2 September, 2021.

She told officers: "I would never kill my child. It's something I would never do."

She added that her mother and father, Kerry and Michael Ives, "were being controlling", adding: "My mum and dad were the only ones downstairs with him when it happened."

Jurors have previously been told Ethan and his mother were living at the Ives' home. Ethan collapsed on 14 August, while his mother Shannon was upstairs. He never regained consciousness.

The jury has also been told how Ethan had collapsed the day before, on 13 August.

Referring to that occasion, she said she had been upstairs when her father called: "Shan, it's Ethan, come down quick."

Ms Ives said she went downstairs and "he was literally just lying on the floor."

"I've just gone over to him and checked for a pulse. It's like he was gasping," she said.

"His eyes were rolling backwards."

She said she noticed how thin he was, and could not understand how he got that way, because he had been "chubby".

Ms Ives told officers Ethan was so thin she could feel his bones, adding she also noticed marks on her son's body including "a few bruises on his back" and on his left leg.

"I was shocked, I was scared that someone had been abusing him," she said.

She said she asked her parents where the bruising was coming from and was told "every time he stands up, he's falling over".

She said she sprayed water on Ethan's face and he came round.

"As soon as he looked over to my dad he started crying," she added.

Shortly after the collapse, she said her parents wanted to take Ethan shopping.

Ms Ives said she did not want him to go with them, but they told her the fresh air would do him good.

When they returned, she said Ethan showed her his new Paw Patrol socks which his grandparents had bought him.

That afternoon, she said "he just kept giving me cuddles".

Earlier, the jury also heard more details of police interviews with Kerry Ives.

She said Ethan moved in with her and her husband in the summer of 2021, to help his mother Shannon.

"We took Ethan to give her a break," she said.

She described Ethan as a "lovely, bubbly kid. Good as gold."

However, when Shannon also later moved in, she said he changed, like he had had a "personality transplant".

"She would lose her temper with him," she said, adding that her daughter Shannon would smack Ethan "up the head".

Kerry Ives said she never had never noticed any problems with Ethan, but said in the period before he collapsed, he became skinny and "you could see his ribs".

She said she was concerned Ethan was anaemic, and advised her daughter to take him to the doctors, but she would not listen.

She also said her daughter would regularly cancel visits by social workers.

The court also heard how Kerry Ives told police: "She wished me dead on a quite a few times."

The trial continues.