Jacob Lennon: Mother and partner jailed over toddler's violent death

A mother and her partner found guilty over the death of her 15-month-old son, who was shaken and beaten to death in south-west London, have been jailed.

At the Old Bailey, Jake Drummond, 33, was jailed for life with a minimum 32-year term for Jacob Lennon's murder, in Putney, and wounding with intent.

Louise Lennon, 32, was handed 10 years for causing or allowing his death and child cruelty. The latter she admitted.

The "sadistic" assaults took place in the weeks before Jacob died in 2019.

Warning, this article contains distressing details

Jacob suffered a catalogue of injuries to his face, body and genitals over three weeks at the hands of his mother's addict boyfriend Drummond, the pair's Old Bailey trial in March heard.

On 27 August 2019, Drummond fatally shook and hit the little boy, leaving his face so bruised and swollen he was described as looking like a "panda".

Jacob's mother not only failed to stop it, she joked with Drummond, blamed another child for injuries, and lied to social services, the court was told.

Throughout their trial, Drummond denied responsibility for Jacob's injuries and Lennon claimed she was "coerced and threatened".

Drummond had previous convictions for having drugs, holding a knife against his mother's throat and assaulting an ex-girlfriend by pushing her against a wall.

In the televised sentencing at the Old Bailey, Mr Justice Sweeting handed Drummond of Roehampton, a life sentence with a minimum term of 32 years for Jacob's murder and six years to run concurrently for wounding.

Lennon was handed 10 years for causing or allowing Jacob's death, with six years' imprisonment concurrent for the cruelty charge, which she had previously admitted.

Dt Ch Insp Wayne Jolley, of Scotland Yard, said it was the saddest case of his 30-year career, and "distressing and emotional" for all those involved.

He added the defendants were "quite despicable" when they joked about Jacob's suffering in messages with laughing emojis.

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