David Dearlove has been convicted of murdering a toddler 50 years ago. His crime went unpunished for decades after he claimed the boy fell out of bed
A pensioner has been found guilty of murdering his toddler stepson almost 50 years ago.
David Dearlove was seen attacking 19-month-old Paul Booth in 1968 by the little boy’s brother Peter, then aged just three, after he crept downstairs for a drink.
But the killer avoided justice for decades until Paul’s brother saw a faded photograph of the youngster being held by Dearlove on Facebook in 2015.
He told his family what he remembered about the day of Paul’s death and police investigated and later arrested Dearlove.
The 71-year-old denied killing the toddler at the family home in Haverton Hill, Stockton, telling a jury that the boy had suffered the fatal head injury by falling out of bed.
But following the highly unusual trial at Teesside Crown Court, he was found guilty today and faces a life sentence.
There was no visible reaction from the defendant when the guilty verdict was delivered, but there were gasps from the public gallery where members of his family were sitting.
Paul died in hospital on the same night Peter witnessed him being attacked.
He never regained consciousness after suffering a fractured skull and died within four hours.
A police inquiry was launched at the time after bruises and burns were found on the boy, but Dearlove was never prosecuted.
That changed in 2015 when Peter Booth, incensed after seeing a photo on Facebook of his little brother sitting on Dearlove’s knee, went to the police.
Dearlove was charged after Paul’s brother saw this photo of the killer and victim on Facebook
It led to the former ICI-worker being arrested at home in Great Yarmouth, Norfolk, and being questioned in Middlesbrough.
Dearlove was 21 when he moved in with Carol Booth, now deceased, and her three children, and told the jury he liked them but did not love them.
She went on have a baby son by him, born three months after Paul died.
The couple split in 1970 and he never saw Peter again until Mr Booth faced him in court and told the jury what he saw.
Paul died of catastrophic head injuries after he was attacked by Dearlove in 1968
Mr Booth and his sister Stephanie also told the jury Dearlove had been physically abusive towards them when they were small children.
Paul had a series of injuries of different ages on his body when he died.
A month before, concerns were raised by his nursery about bruises on his body and police and childcare specialists made inquiries but did not take action against the couple.
At the time, Dearlove told the authorities those injuries were caused by Paul pulling a motorbike over in the back yard.
On the night Dearlove killed Paul, he was alone in the room with the child.
He claimed the toddler had collapsed and went with Mrs Booth in the ambulance to the hospital, returning home some time later while the toddler remained critically ill.
He heard in a phone call that Paul was dead. An hour and a quarter after hearing the news, he told the jury, he went to bed.
Dearlove showed little emotion when he was cross-examined by Richard Wright QC, prosecuting, about that night.
The attack took place in the since-demolished home Dearlove shared with Paul’s mother
Mr Wright asked: ‘The child you say you cared about and liked, a baby, had died in your home that night … it must have been terrible.’
Dearlove said: ‘I cannot remember what my feelings were.’
Mr Wright said: ‘Think back, this happy little baby you had been tossing up and down by the fire earlier in the evening, you found him with a fatal injury, and the woman you loved – Carol – had just lost her son. Was that a bit upsetting?’
Dearlove replied: ‘It was probably upsetting, yes, but I cannot remember.’
In graphic evidence, a baby doll was marked up with the different injury sites and shown to the jury.
Home Office pathologist Dr Mark Egan then hit the doll’s head on a hard surface to show how the skull fracture could have been caused.
Dearlove, who had no previous convictions, moved to London after his split with Mrs Booth, and started a new life. He married, had two daughters and is now a grandfather.