Man convicted of toddler’s murder, partner admits cruelty, after child’s body concealed in pushchair

Scott Jeff was part of two-year-old Isabella Jonas-Wheildon’s life for a mere 36 days. Following the commencement of a relationship with Isabella’s mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, and their departure from their Bedfordshire hometown, Jeff subjected the toddler to fatal, sustained assaults. The couple then fled to the Norfolk coast and subsequently Ipswich. Under the influence of drugs, Gleason-Mitchell disregarded Jeff’s violent actions, and they even transported the deceased child’s body in a pushchair to hide the crime. Their arrest eventually occurred after Isabella’s body was left in a locked bathroom. On Friday, Jeff received a murder conviction, while Gleason-Mitchell pleaded guilty to charges related to the death and child cruelty. She stated that Jeff’s aggression towards Isabella escalated when the child experienced accidents during potty training. Isabella, described as a “smiley, blonde-haired” child who was “engaging and happy” with an attentive mother, experienced a tragic turn of events. Warning: This article features distressing details. The two-year-old, discovered on 30 June 2023 beneath blankets with “traumatic injuries from head to toe,” officially succumbed to a bone marrow embolism resulting from skeletal trauma. Gleason-Mitchell and her boyfriend Jeff, both 24 and formerly residing in Biggleswade, were apprehended the day after Isabella’s discovery. They had spent the preceding night consuming alcohol at the Corn Exchange pub in Bury St Edmunds. The distressing specifics of Isabella’s final weeks emerged during a seven-week murder trial held at Ipswich Crown Court. A jury found Jeff guilty of murder but acquitted Gleason-Mitchell of that specific charge. Jeff was also convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child, as well as child cruelty offences linked to cocaine and cannabis, charges Gleason-Mitchell had previously admitted. The couple had initially dated in 2019 but separated before Gleason-Mitchell met Thomas Wheildon, with whom she had Isabella. During that relationship, their daughter was reportedly “a happy, healthy, engaging and contented child,” with “absolutely no suggestion of anything other than good parenting.” However, after ending her relationship with Isabella’s father, Gleason-Mitchell reunited with Jeff on 21 May 2023. They subsequently left Bedfordshire and traveled to Great Yarmouth. There, they attempted to secure council housing by falsely claiming they were evading Gleason-Mitchell’s former partner, whom they alleged was violent. The pair lodged at the St George Hotel in Great Yarmouth, then in a tent on a beach in Caister-on-Sea, sleeping on towels and blankets, before spending three nights at a local caravan park. During this period, Isabella was frequently left unsupervised and was compelled to repeat phrases suggesting her biological father had harmed her, described as “learned lines” she was forced to recite. On 19 June, they were offered a flat at the East Villas housing complex in Sidegate Lane, Ipswich. This was 11 days before Isabella’s body would be found and a week before her murder. Throughout the trial, both defendants attributed the violence to the other, each asserting they had never physically harmed Isabella. Gleason-Mitchell testified that she witnessed Jeff repeatedly kick and stamp on her daughter, and that Isabella’s death ultimately “arose from” violence stemming from anger over potty training. Sasha Wass KC, representing Gleason-Mitchell, stated, “She was aware of what was happening to her child but stood by and did nothing and said nothing.” Conversely, Wass also highlighted that in the past, Isabella’s wellbeing had been a priority for Gleason-Mitchell. She added, “Isabella’s medical records showed full engagement with health care – Isabella had attended immunisation and there was no cause for concern raised by anybody.” Gleason-Mitchell placed full responsibility for Isabella’s injuries on Jeff. This account was, however, disputed by Christopher Paxton KC, who represented Jeff and characterized Gleason-Mitchell as “cunning.” Nevertheless, the severity of the injuries inflicted upon Isabella remained undisputed throughout the trial. Bone pathologist Prof Anthony Freemont stated that in his 40-year career, he had never before observed such a degree of pelvic injury in a child. It was also noted that the toddler’s injuries were comparable to those typically sustained in “high-velocity traffic accidents” or from “being kicked by a horse.” Even after Isabella’s death, Gleason-Mitchell and Jeff chose not to inform the police, instead opting to feign her continued existence. They transported her deceased body around Ipswich in a pushchair while engaging in shopping, drinking, and cocaine use. Toxicology reports further indicated traces of cocaine and cannabis in Isabella’s body, believed to have been ingested second-hand due to the couple’s drug consumption. The alarm was finally raised on 29 June when Gleason-Mitchell confessed online to her friend Joanne Gardner that Isabella had been dead in her pushchair for approximately three days. She explained her reluctance to contact authorities stemmed from a fear of facing repercussions (“get done”) due to the bruising on her daughter’s body. Instead, on 30 June, Gleason-Mitchell and Jeff decided to abandon Isabella and vacate their flat. They took a bus to the town centre, where CCTV footage captured them shopping and visiting McDonald’s before proceeding to a pub. Later that afternoon, the pair took a taxi to Ipswich train station and then a train to Bury St Edmunds. While at the Corn Exchange pub, Jeff reportedly exchanged texts with his mother, Sandy Duncan, who urged him to surrender to the police. He responded, “I can’t mum – it’s hard enough to lose a baby girl without them blaming us for it.” Photographs taken of Gleason-Mitchell at the pub showed her smiling while drinking. Unbeknownst to the couple, Ms Gardner had contacted the police with concerns about Isabella approximately 10 minutes before they left their flat. The couple were subsequently arrested in Bury St Edmunds during the early hours of 1 July. Following the jury’s verdict, High Court judge Mr Justice Neil Garnham informed Jeff: “I am obliged by law to impose a life sentence on you. I will have to fix a minimum term for you to serve.” Sentencing for the pair is scheduled for 13 December at Ipswich Crown Court. The BBC has reached out to Central Bedfordshire Council, Norfolk County Council, and Suffolk County Council, who have yet to confirm any prior contact with the couple and Isabella before her death.