Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, was jailed for life for murdering his 18-month-old adopted daughter Elsie
A £10,000 crowdfunding appeal has been launched to free a baby killer just a month after he was jailed for life.
Gay fitness instructor Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, was convicted last month of the sickening murder of his 18-month-old adopted daughter Elsie.
She died in May 2016 just two weeks after being officially adopted by Scully-Hicks and his husband at their home in Llandaff, Cardiff.
Elsie suffered a catalogue of devastating injuries in the months before her death including a broken leg, bruising to her head, broken ribs and a final catastrophic fractured skull.
Scully-Hicks, who has always claimed he did not commit the horrific murder, was unanimously convicted by a jury at Cardiff Crown Court.
After the case it was revealed that a family division court judge had described him as ‘a Jekyll and Hyde’ character.
But a group of friends in his hometown of Delabole, Cornwall are now trying to raise funds to overturn the verdict and secure his freedom.
Calling themselves the Scully-Hicks Innocence Project (SHIProject), they say they are dedicated to the release of the man jailed to a minimum of 18 years in jail.
Little Elsie suffered a catalogue of devastating injuries in the months before her death including a broken leg, bruising to her head, broken ribs and a final catastrophic fractured skull
Former schoolfriend Hannah Scarr said: ‘Matthew Scully-Hicks was wrongly convicted on November 6, 2017 of murdering his daughter Elsie.
‘The project is founded by local friends and acquaintances of Matthew’s family, who equally feel affected by the injustice that he and his family have been dealt.
‘We (SHIProject) feel that there is a great amount of detail of the case and trial that has been misreported, left out completely or misconstrued to portray a monster.
‘In reality everyone who has ever met Matthew have only lovely things to say about him.
‘Matthew and his family now have a long road ahead of them to prove his innocence against the media circus surrounding his trial.
‘He did not stand a chance when he was considered guilty by the media on the very first day of the trial.
‘This is why we are passionate about this cause. His family have to find both the money and the strength to go through the lengthy process of an appeal.
‘Matthew has lost his whole family, his daughter, his marriage, his home, and now his life.
‘The long term aim is to raise as much awareness as possible so that this does not happen to other innocent families.’
The court heard how baby Elsie sustained injuries on different occasions from the moment she moved in with Matthew and his husband Craig Scully-Hicks in 2015.
The couple claim the tot died because of her alleged health issues.
Ms Scarr said: ‘In short, Elsie suffered from a serious Vitamin D deficiency, diagnosed by Professor Holick of Boston University, a very well renowned specialist in Vitamin D.
‘It is well documented that children deficient in Vitamin D suffer from bone fractures, dental deformities, impaired growth and even cardiac arrest.
‘Elsie was also born drug dependant as her birth mother used heroin amongst other drugs whilst pregnant. Elsie was also tested and treated for Hepatitis C, a liver disease linked to Vitamin D deficiency.’
Friends of Scully-Hicks (pictured outside court on November 6) are trying to raise £10,000 to clear his name and free him from jail
She added: ‘Matthew was convicted of Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS), a controversial subject within the justice system.
‘There is little evidence to suggest that SBS can be scientifically proven, and many parents have been falsely convicted of SBS, only to be exonerated years later.
‘SBS is based on a triad of symptoms that can also be sustained from accidents and injuries.’
The crowdfunding page has so far raised £40 of the target.
On its website, it also shared a long message on what allegedly actually happened which is claimed to be written by Scully-Hicks himself.