A couple who were jailed for leaving their “exceptionally thin” baby in disgusting conditions before he died have failed to overturn their convictions.
Baby Stephen Angell Jnr was subjected to harrowing abuse which included having traces of drugs in his milk and being found to have an “unusual” body odour.
He would eventually succumb to the abuse when he was just three months old.
Stephen Angell, 45, and Laura Stevenson, 47, denied wrongdoing at trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court but were convicted by a jury of willful negligence for events that occurred between August and November 2018.
Among these events was baby Stephen’s exposure to the risk of ingesting drugs and the discovery of a milk bottle in his home that revealed traces of diazepam.
The couple, from East Kilbride, Lanarkshire, were sentenced to two years each in July when Sheriff Colin Dunipace criticized them for showing “no remorse”.
But the attempt to clear their names has been dismissed by the judges after they immediately asked lawyers to file appeals against their conviction and sentence following the jail verdict.
A source said: “The pair are absolutely callous and it was no surprise they tried to appeal their convictions.”
Baby Stephen Angell Jnr was subjected to harrowing abuse which included having traces of drugs in his milk.
Stephen Angell, 45, and Laura Stevenson, 47, denied wrongdoing at trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court but were convicted by a jury of willful negligence for events that occurred between August and November 2018.
“Both have shown absolutely no remorse throughout this entire case and it has left many disgusted.”
Doctors ruled baby Stephen’s death “undetermined” but social work records highlighted concerns about his care while he was alive.
An investigation revealed that he had been exposed to the risk of ingesting drugs and a milk bottle found in his home revealed traces of diazepam.
The court heard that a drunken Stevenson had left his son with a “morbidly obese” disabled woman and gone to bed.
His horrified daughter later found him soaked in urine in the woman’s arms.
Dr. Adrienne Sullivan said in the essay that she examined Stephen in October 2018 amid concerns about weight gain.
He said his hands, feet and armpits were dirty, his nails were long and he gave off a body odor that was “unusual.”
Professor Charlotte Wright told the trial that the young man was “exceptionally thin” when she examined him.
During one exchange, parents were advised to increase the amount of baby formula they gave, but Angell responded, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
The court heard that Stevenson had drunkenly left her son with a disabled and “morbidly obese” woman and gone to bed.
She had further nutritional problems after he gained 100g in three days under medical supervision, but was struggling to gain weight at home.
During one exchange, parents were advised to increase the amount of baby formula they gave, but Angell responded, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Sheriff Dunipace said: “Despite the high level of social work intervention, they both failed in their duty to their son and I have concluded that the matter for which they were convicted involved a high level of culpability and a deliberate disregard for the well-being of his child. child while we are in a position of the greatest trust as parents.’
The Court of Appeal confirmed that Angell and Stevenson had their appeals rejected at the “second review” stage.‘