Details Emerge of Couple’s Plan to Bury Toddler’s Body and Flee After Murder

Approximately one month after entering the life of “happy” toddler Isabella Jonas-Wheildon, her murderer, Scott Jeff, began researching methods to bury her body and escape the country. Jeff, aged 24, had re-established his relationship with Isabella’s mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, also 24, just 36 days prior to murdering the two-year-old in Ipswich. During this period, Jeff subjected his girlfriend’s daughter to beatings, resulting in “psychological torment” and “traumatic injuries” that led to her death on 26 June 2023. Following their arrest and subsequent trial, Jeff received a sentence of a minimum of 26 years in prison for murder. Gleason-Mitchell was acquitted of murder but was incarcerated for 10 years after pleading guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child. Warning: This article contains descriptions of physical abuse High Court judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham characterized Gleason-Mitchell as a “weak and spineless person and pathetically desperate.” He further stated that Jeff’s attacks were “monstrous” and that Isabella would have experienced “utter terror” in his presence. CCTV footage, subsequently released by Suffolk Police, showed the couple laughing and joking merely half an hour after the murder, and again on the days that followed. The couple, after transporting Isabella’s body in a pushchair around Ipswich, confined her in a bathroom at the East Villas Housing Unit within the town before absconding. The specifics of their plan to evade capture were examined. During a seven-week trial conducted at Ipswich Crown Court, the jury received testimony from numerous witnesses and reviewed extensive evidence dossiers. This evidence encompassed text messages and internet searches retrieved from the couple’s mobile phones subsequent to their arrest in the early hours of 1 July in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Det Ch Ins Craig Powell stated, “In the trial Chelsea said Scott had asked her to buy a shovel and that effectively they were readying themselves for disposing of Isabella.” Det Ch Ins Powell added, “There was evidence in the days after Isabella’s death they were looking at ways to leave the country without passports, and other travel methods, to no doubt flee.” Among the destinations they reportedly considered were Scotland and Amsterdam, in addition to researching travel to Southend-on-Sea in Essex. However, their escape plan was prevented when police officers located Isabella’s body beneath a pile of blankets in a pushchair on 30 June 2023. Joanne Gardner, a friend of Gleason-Mitchell, alerted authorities after the mother informed her that her daughter had been deceased for approximately three days. Ms Gardner recounted that Gleason-Mitchell had explained her failure to contact the authorities stemmed from a fear of she would “get done” due to Isabella’s bruising. Before their arrival in Ipswich on 19 June, the couple, accompanied by Isabella, had departed their hometown of Biggleswade in Bedfordshire and traveled to Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. For the subsequent three weeks, they resided at the St George Hotel in the town, slept in a tent on a beach near Caister-on-Sea, and spent time at a caravan park. Throughout this timeframe, they declined offers of assistance, concealed Isabella’s bruised face with sunglasses, and misrepresented facts to council housing officers by asserting that Gleason-Mitchell was escaping an abusive relationship. By the point they had obtained temporary accommodation in Ipswich, the toddler, previously described as “healthy and contented,” had endured repeated beatings inflicted by Jeff. The court was informed that Isabella sustained injuries comparable to those from “high-velocity traffic accidents” or “being kicked by a horse.” The blonde-haired toddler, found to have traces of cocaine and cannabis in her system, succumbed to a bone marrow embolism resulting from skeletal trauma. Following Isabella’s death, with her body placed in a pushchair, the couple behaved as though nothing untoward had occurred, utilizing buses and purchasing an X-Box, all while exhibiting “no grief or emotion.” Her body was “treated with disdain,” with a “bag of shopping casually placed” on top of it within the pushchair. Subsequently, after leaving Isabella’s body in the flat, the couple proceeded to Ipswich town centre to visit shops, McDonald’s, and a pub. They then took a train to the Corn Exchange pub in Bury St Edmunds, where CCTV footage recorded them consuming drinks and conducting themselves as “normal.” Det Ch Insp Powell further commented, “As a parent I just couldn’t fathom what we could see on the CCTV cameras, in no way did they appear to be showing any grief or emotion.” He continued, “It was disgusting. Their actions and their reactions at that time I still struggle with today – there was very little emotion.” Subsequently, in the early hours of 1 July, both individuals were arrested, with bodycam footage capturing Jeff stating: “I never murdered her.” However, the court was presented with evidence detailing how the toddler endured sustained violent attacks, stemming from Jeff’s “evil temper” and his frustration regarding her difficulties with potty training. Bone pathologist Prof Anthony Freemont testified during the trial that he had not encountered such a severe pelvic injury in a child throughout his 40-year career. Jeff reportedly kicked and stamped on the toddler and subjected her to punishment with cold showers, while her mother “stood by and did nothing.” It was additionally noted that the couple had been in a prior relationship in 2019, during which Gleason-Mitchell’s family observed that she had “changed” and increased her alcohol consumption. Gleason-Mitchell admitted that she “didn’t do anything to protect” her daughter from Jeff, but “thought it was just a phase he was going through.” Gleason-Mitchell’s defense team contended that she lacked a phone or money and had been isolated by Jeff. Rhys Lloyd, representing the domestic violence support charity Leeway, informed the BBC that partners who control financial matters and daily activities frequently exhibit indicators of abuse. He further stated, “A lot of the time perpetrators will be aiming to isolate their victims and make them really dependent on them and ultimately make it very hard for them to leave.” Det Ch Insp Powell, however, indicated that no evidence was uncovered to suggest Isabella’s mother was ever incapable of leaving Jeff and seeking assistance. He remarked, “[Chelsea’s] role in this is still really significant.” A Local Children’s Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) has since been initiated to scrutinize the actions of the pertinent councils in Central Bedfordshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk preceding Isabella’s death. A joint statement declared: “It is important we do all we can to learn from cases such as this to reduce the risk of similar cases occurring.” During the entirety of the trial, members of Isabella’s family, including her father, Thomas Wheildon, were frequently present in the public gallery. He stated: “Isabella was the most wonderful addition to my life – she was an extension of me and I miss her every day.” He added: “Her life was tragically cut short by you wicked, sadistic and vile people.” For news from the East of England, follow on X, Instagram, and Facebook: BBC Beds, Herts & Bucks, BBC Cambridgeshire, BBC Essex, BBC Norfolk, BBC Northamptonshire, or BBC Suffolk. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.