Keigan O'Brien: Doncaster couple jailed over boy's death

A man who murdered his partner's two-year-old son has been jailed for at least 22 years.

Keigan O'Brien died after suffering a head injury while in the care of Martin Currie at home in Doncaster.

Jurors heard it was possible the "catastrophic" injury was caused by his head being hit against a wall or floor.

Currie, 36, was convicted of murder. Keigan's mother, Sarah O'Brien, 33, was found guilty of causing or allowing the death of a child.

The court was told in the weeks before his death, Keigan had suffered a broken spine, broken ribs and a broken arm.

Jailing Currie for life, with a minimum term of 22 years, Mrs Justice Eady said he was guilty of the "violent murder of a blameless two-year-old".

"These offences involved the grossest abuse of a position of trust," she said.

"You placed yourself in the role of Keigan's father, your duty was to protect him, instead you abused, injured and killed him."

Addressing O'Brien, who was jailed for eight years, she said: "The jury found that you were aware, or ought to have been aware, of the risk of serious physical harm posed to Keigan by Martin Currie.

"At the very least, you failed to protect Keigan, leaving him with Martin Currie to be subjected to the very significant force used in the incident that led to his death."

During their trial jurors heard emergency services were called to the family home in Bosworth Road, Adwick, on the morning of 8 January.

Keigan, who had been at home with Currie while his mother was out, was "close to death" when paramedics arrived and died in hospital the following day as a result of a brain bleed.

It later emerged Currie had searched the internet for terms including "irregular breathing", "gurgling" and "unconscious" two hours before seeking medical help.

When the couple did ring 999 they claimed to have found Keigan in bed not breathing.

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