A convicted child killer died from multiple stab wounds in his new home soon after being released from 33 years in prison, an inquest heard yesterday.
David Gaut, 54, was found dead in a pool of blood in the hallway of the home where he had lived for just six weeks.
Gaut was jailed for life after brutally killing 17-month old Chi Ming Shek in South Wales in 1985.
He was released from prison in November and housed in New Tredegar last month – but locals in his new neighbourhood found out about his sickening past after seeing his name using Google.
He was subsequently found dead on Saturday, August 4.
A coroner heard the cause of his death was a severe loss of blood ‘from sharp force injuries’.
Detective Constable Jon Lewis told the inquest that Gaut had suffered ‘numerous injuries’ to his body.
Teams conducted searches of the property in New Tredegar (pictured) where Gaut was found dead. They had been wearing protective clothing, with locals saying they had checked ‘bins, houses and even the river’
Gaut had been released from prison in November and housed in New Tredegar (pictured) last month. He was subsequently found dead on Saturday, August 4
David Osbourne, 51, (pictured) and Ieuan Harley, 23, are accused with Darren Evesham, 47, of murdering David Gaut
At the inquest in Newport, Gwent, it was heard that Gaut was discovered dead by police in New Tredegar, near Caerphilly.
Det Con Lewis said he was taken to Cardiff ‘s University of Hospital Wales where his body was examined.
Gaut, who told new neighbours he had served 33 years for killing a soldier, was babysitting for his then girlfriend when he battered, kicked, and burned the sole of Chi’s foot before dumping his battered body under a chest of drawers.
He even had sex with the boy’s mother after the murder and it was only the next morning when she found her beloved son dead with a broken arm, torn liver and a fractured skull.
Pictured: A South Wales Echo front page article from the time David Gaut was put on trial for killing Chi and lied that it was an accident
Villagers were furious when they found out Gaut had been housed in a council flat in their community.
They became suspicious after Gaut ‘bragged’ to them he had served time for 33 years.
A local, who did not want to be named, said: ‘We got to know him quite well since he’d moved in.
‘He used to go on about how he had been in prison for 33 years. He bragged about it. He told us he had shot a soldier but he told us he had been set up.’
Following Gaut’s death neighbours reported seeing police combing the area and looking inside wheelie bins while forensics officers were photographing the lawn outside his home.
Gwent coroner Miss Wendy James formally opened the inquest into his death and adjourned it for three months.
There were no objections to the body being released for burial.
Darren Evesham, 47, David Osbourne, 51 and Ieuan Harley, 23, were all accused of the murder.
Osbourne lived next door to Gaut while the other two men lived in other parts of the village.
The three men are due to stand trial next year.
Gaut had been jailed for life in July 1985 for the brutal murder of toddler Chi in Caerphilly.
Then 21 he had been babysitting his girlfriend’s son Chi Ming Shek – known as Marky – when he battered, kicked, and burned the sole of the child’s foot.
Jane Pickthall found her beloved son Chi Ming Shek dead under a chest of drawers after sleeping with her boyfriend and said today she had no idea her son’s killer was dead
The baby’s mother, Jane Pickthall, then 23, had been out drinking and left Gaut to look after her two young children.
She arrived home in Caerphilly, South Wales, and had sex with Gaut – but the next day she found her son’s dead body under a chest of drawers.
A murder trial at Cardiff Crown Court heard Gaut tried to make the death look accidental.
He said at the time the boy had tripped and fallen down the stairs.
But pathologist Dr Owen Williams said the baby’s injuries could only have been caused by punching, kicking, falling, being thrown or a combination of these.
Prosecutor Aubrey Myerson QC said while the mum was out neighbours heard loud noises – including banging and crashes.
Miss Pickthall told a jury how she found Marky dead underneath a chest of drawers in his bedroom. She could see he was badly bruised in the groin area, chest and forehead.
Mr Myerson said: ‘The killing did not arise from just one attack but from a series of assaults.’
Unemployed Gaut told police Marky had got out of the cot and claimed he smacked the tot’s bottom but he fell down the stairs.
He said he gave Marky mouth to mouth and put him back in the cot – because he ‘looked all right’.
The baby died of multiple injuries including a broken arm, injured liver and spleen and a fractured skull.
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