Woman says parents accused of killing son were 'horrible'

A woman whose parents are accused of murdering her two-year-old son says they were "horrible" during her childhood due to their physical abuse, a court has heard.

Ethan Ives-Griffiths collapsed at his grandparents' home in Garden City, Flintshire, in 2021 and later died from a serious head injury.

Michael Ives, 47, and Kerry Ives, 46, deny his murder. They, along with their daughter Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, also deny causing or allowing his death, and child cruelty.

Giving evidence at Mold Crown Court on Friday, Shannon Ives said from the age of four, she would get "punched, kicked and have the belt used on us".

Ms Ives told the court she was "prevented from going out, from having a normal life".

She said the abuse came mainly from her father, Michael Ives, and happened "on a daily basis".

When asked by her barrister, Gordon Cole, about her mother, she said her mum, Kerry Ives, would strike her "now and again," sometimes slapping her face.

She said there was no reason for the abuse and that it made her feel "unsafe".

After temporarily moving back in with her parents as an adult, Shannon said Michael would "walk past, kick me, and tell me he didn't want me there".

On one occasion, she said he "tipped a whole box of locusts on me" which were food for his two pet bearded dragons.

On Wednesday, Ethan's grandmother, Kerry Ives denied that either she or her husband hit Ethan, but said her daughter "used to smack his hand and smack his bum", and she had seen her "hit him up the back of the head".

"If he'd laugh at her, she'd lose her temper," she said.

Mrs Ives described Ethan as a "chubby and bubbly little child" who acted differently when his mum was around, "biting his lip" until it bled or shoving food into his mouth until he choked.

On Friday, Mrs Ives was being cross-examined by the prosecution barrister Caroline Rees about her failure to act after Ethan had a brief collapse on Friday 13 August - the day before his fatal collapse.

Mrs Ives said she had not witnessed the incident herself but was told about it by her husband Michael and daughter Shannon, and was reassured Ethan had come round.

She told the court that had she been awake at the time, she would have suggested calling an ambulance.

When asked why she did not tell anyone outside the family what had happened, she said: "I didn't want to get anyone in trouble."

Ms Rees challenged her: "Why were Michael and Shannon more important than little Ethan?"

"They wasn't," she replied.

Mrs Ives said Shannon had hit Ethan on 14 August but claimed the toddler "never cried or whinged".

Ms Rees suggested Ethan had "learned not to" because "bad things were always happening to poor Ethan all the time".

Mrs Ives denied being asked by Michael to keep quiet about the assault, but admitted she waited 18 minutes before calling an ambulance on 14 August because she had "panicked".

Ms Rees asked her: "Were you hoping he'd come round like he did on Friday. Nobody would need to know?"

Kerry Ives said "No".

The trial continues.