Man sentenced for murder after shaking infant to death

A young man received a minimum 14-year prison sentence for the murder of his girlfriend’s four-month-old son, whom he killed by shaking. Elijah Shemwell passed away on 5 January 2022, following his discovery three days prior in a pale, limp, and drowsy state at his mother’s residence in Belper, Derbyshire. Carl Alesbrook, then aged 16, was in a relationship with Elijah’s mother, India Shemwell, and had been solely caring for the infant at her apartment. Alesbrook, currently 19 years old, denied causing injury to Elijah but was found guilty following a trial at Derby Crown Court, receiving a life sentence with a minimum term of 14 years on Friday. Alesbrook, whose previous address was Upper Greenhill Gardens, Matlock, Derbyshire, began his relationship with his former partner Shemwell in November 2021. He had previously pleaded not guilty to Elijah’s murder but was unanimously found guilty after a five-week trial held in July. Evidence presented in court indicated that Alesbrook inflicted whiplash-type injuries, cerebral bleeding, and numerous bone fractures upon Elijah. A video recorded by Shemwell on 1 January, depicting her son unresponsive with a limp arm, was presented to the jury. A separate video displayed him “gasping for breath” before Shemwell contacted emergency services on the evening of 2 January, leading to his transport via ambulance to the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham. Elijah succumbed to his injuries three days later, on 5 January, due to fatal head trauma that was characterized in court as “catastrophic.” Throughout the trial, Alesbrook denied feeling “unduly angered or irritated” by the infant; however, the court heard he had sent an abusive Snapchat message to Shemwell several days prior to the baby’s hospitalization. He further denied that a toothache led him to “lose his temper” or that he felt “jealous” of Shemwell’s connection with the baby’s father. Mark Heywood KC, representing Alesbrook, stated that the defendant was “very young and very immature” when the offenses occurred, yet was “capable of being a very caring father figure.” Testimony in court revealed that Alesbrook cared for Elijah when his mother was absent from her residence. Shemwell, aged 21 at the time of the events and now 24, received a three-year prison sentence at the same court in December last year, having pleaded guilty to two charges of child cruelty. She was observed crying in the dock as videos showing Elijah appearing “lifeless” were presented to the court during her sentencing hearing. During her former partner’s trial, Shemwell was characterized as “a thoroughly inadequate mother” who consistently and specifically failed to obtain timely medical care for her son. Prosecutor Vanessa Marshall KC stated that Shemwell “failed to prioritise the needs of Elijah over her own” and ought to have recognized that Elijah was “testing Mr Alesbrook’s patience.” Darron Whitehead, Shemwell’s defense lawyer, remarked: “She knows she has let down her son, she knows she has let herself down, and she has let down her family.” He added: “It is her inactivity, it’s her failings, that will haunt her for the rest of her life. She misses Elijah and no matter what is said in this room, or in writing, she loved her son.” A victim impact statement from Shemwell’s mother, Rachel Shemwell, read aloud in court, indicated that her daughter was “not the best of mums” and that circumstances could have “turned out differently” had she sought assistance. Rachel Shemwell wrote: “We will never get Elijah back and can only remember the happiness he brought us in his short life.” Mr Justice Jeremy Baker commented: “The effect of Eli’s death on those who loved him is evident. Nothing this court can do will assuage their overwhelming sense of loss.” Detective Chief Inspector Greg McGill, who headed the investigation for Derbyshire Police, stated: “Even a teenager knows the fatal risks posed by shaking a four-month-old baby boy.” The pressure applied to his small body resulted in broken ribs, and the shaking inflicted such severe damage that his brain was deprived of oxygen, ultimately causing his death. While India was undeniably an appalling mother, she could not have anticipated Alesbrook’s brutal actions. Nevertheless, it is evident that she both could and should have provided significantly better care for Elijah, and she will bear the consequences of her actions and inactions for the remainder of her life.