Mother covered for boyfriend after he beat son to death

A mother who covered for her sadistic boyfriend after he beat their baby son to death walked free from court today after one of Britain’s most senior judges accepted she was suffering from ‘battered women syndrome.’

Chantelle Flynn, 25, hatched a callous plan with Craig Dawick to lie to police and doctors after he gave eight-month-old Leyton Flynn a fatal beating for ‘crying too much’.

Despite being out on a 40-minute errand at the time of the attack, Flynn falsely claimed she had been cuddling her son on the sofa when he started sweating, went pale and ‘made a funny noise’.

She also insisted Dawick was a ‘brilliant father’ and said any injuries caused to the child were ‘accidental.’

Flynn broke down and sobbed in the dock at Manchester Crown Court as she was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and perverting the course of justice and was handed a suspended sentence.

Craig Dawick, pictured, beat son Leyton to death and was jailed for murder

Chantelle Flynn, left, covered for violent boyfriend Craig Dawick, right, after he brutally beat their son to death

Leyton, pictured, suffered a 'catastrophic brain injury' and fractured arms and legs after Dawick attacked him for 'crying too much'

Leyton, pictured, suffered a ‘catastrophic brain injury’ and fractured arms and legs after Dawick attacked him for ‘crying too much’

The court heard Flynn, pictured with Dawick, told police the baby fell ill on her lap and added Dawick was a 'brilliant father' and any injuries were 'accidental'

The court heard Flynn, pictured with Dawick, told police the baby fell ill on her lap and added Dawick was a ‘brilliant father’ and any injuries were ‘accidental’

Leyton from Rochdale, Greater Manchester, was taken to Royal Oldham Hospital but transferred to the paediatric intensive care unit at Manchester Children’s Hospital where he was found to have a catastrophic brain injury, fractures to his legs and arms and bruises to his head and body.

He died two days later with experts saying he suffered injuries usually seen in high speed car accidents.

It emerged Dawick, also 25, had previously been violent during the couple’s relationship but she took him back sending him texts saying he was ‘beautiful’ and adding: ‘”I love you darling, I really do” followed by eight kisses.

Just days after the pair got back together following another bust up, Dawick was left alone with Leyton and when the child screamed and sobbed due to teething and acid reflux, Dawick shouted: ‘shut the ‘f***’ up ‘ at the youngster before leaving him with injuries ‘consistent with being kicked or punched’. He then rang Flynn for help. 

She broke down and sobbed as the judge Mr Justice John Royce branded Dawick the ‘real villain’ and said Flynn was ‘completely under his sway.’ 

Dawick himself was jailed for life with a minimum 21 years after he found guilty of murder in September.

Imposing two years jail suspended for 24 months the judge told Flynn: ‘Part of your life for the last ten years have been extremely turbulent. 

Flynn, pictured outside court, broke down in tears in the dock as she was handed a suspended sentence

‘It seems you would sometimes say you hated Craig Dawick and wanted nothing to do with him and then not long after you you send a text saying how much you loved him. 

‘It became a pattern of you telling him to leave then having him back. You couldn’t live with him and you couldn’t bear to live without him.

‘He told you lies to conceal what he has done but when paramedics arrived you told them you had been cuddling him on the sofa when Leyton went pale and started making a funny noise. You said that once you started that you didn’t feel you could correct it.

‘Your deceit continued until you were interviewed and you told them it was Craig who was looking after Leyton at the relevant time. 

‘It is important to refer to the psychological report which concluded that the abuse you suffered in childhood was likely to have impacted your ability to deal with Craig Dawick. 

‘You were especially vulnerable and it is a concern that you suffered from battered woman syndrome.

‘The report concluded you had extremely low self esteem and your low self esteem keeps women in a perpetuating cycle of violence. You were more susceptible to being controlled and bullied by Craig Dawick.

‘I have no shadow of a doubt about you being dominated, controlled and intimidated by Dawick and you had the feeling that somehow his abuse of you was your fault when it was certainly not. 

‘Your deceit lasted hours not days or months and the real burden in this tragedy was Dawick. You were completely under his sway.’

He added: ‘The psychological evidence about your conditions is extremely powerful if not unique. 

‘Sending you to prison would run the risk of negating the fact that you are making a real effort to live a constructive life. I do not consider you a danger and it is quite clear you bitterly regret this tragedy.’

The murder occurred in September last year just days after Dawick had been violent towards Flynn and caused a scene at their home in which he reportedly threatened to ‘break in and batter her to death.’

Prosecutor Neil Usher said: ‘She knew her partner was a violent man, as she herself had recently been the victim of his violence. Dawick is an aggressive, sometimes violent man who is quick to lose his temper.

‘But despite knowing that her partner had anger management problems which manifested itself in physical violence, she allowed him to remain in the family house, despite the significant risk that she knew, or should have known, he posed of causing serious physical harm.

Flynn told officials Leyton, pictured, stated 'sweating, went pale and "made a funny noise"' on her lap 

Flynn told officials Leyton, pictured, stated ‘sweating, went pale and “made a funny noise”‘ on her lap 

The court heard Flynn, right, was 'dominated, controlled and intimidated' by Dawick and was 'completely under his sway'

The court heard Flynn, right, was ‘dominated, controlled and intimidated’ by Dawick and was ‘completely under his sway’

‘Their relationship was a tempestuous one, and one in which at times Dawick was physically violent towards Flynn. 

‘Telephone evidence strongly suggests a pattern in the months leading up to September of the two of them either splitting up, or coming very close to it, largely because of the poor behaviour of Dawick, only for Flynn to almost immediately forgive him and be desperate for him to return to her.’

The court heard on September 1 the couple had a bust up after he walked out on Flynn with £200 of her money and a PlayStation game – leaving a note saying their relationship was over.

Two days later, she sent Dawick a text saying: ‘I will make sure I drop all your clothes off. Me and you are over for good’ but the following morning he turned up at the family home in a ‘highly agitated state.’

Mr Usher said: ‘Flynn wouldn’t let him in but he started kicking at the locked front door and shouting threats. 

‘She was sufficiently scared to call the police by dialling 999 and said he had threatened that he was going to ‘break in and batter her to death.’

‘She added that he had warned her that ringing the police would be ‘her worst mistake.’ 

But by the time the police attended some 20 minutes later Dawick had gone and it seems Flynn had already forgiven Dawick because she sent him a text warning him that the police had arrived.

‘When the police spoke to her she declined their offer of help and just five hours later she sent him a text saying “I love you darling, I really do.” By September 5 the relationship was well and truly back on track.’

One subsequent text Flynn sent to Dawick read: ‘love you so much’ followed by eight kisses and when he replied that he loved her too, she texted back: ‘Love you more’ and in a further message, later the same day she called him ‘beautiful.’

That night Dawick stayed over at the house and the following morning was left alone with Leyton whilst Flynn went out on an errand.

Mr Usher said: ‘On the morning he received his fatal injuries, Leyton had been crying all morning because he was teething. 

‘He also suffered with acid reflux. Whilst left alone with a baby who may well have been crying or even screaming that morning, Craig Dawick snapped and deliberately inflicted Leyton’s fatal injuries.

‘Whilst Flynn was still out, Craig Dawick telephoned her at 8:35am and the conversation lasted seven minutes and 50 seconds and at 9:08 am he called for a second time – again, there was a lengthy phone conversation between the two, this call also lasting over seven minutes.

‘Only the defendants can tell you precisely what was contained in those two, lengthy phone calls, but it plainly concerned the fact that Leyton was by now very seriously injured. 

Dawick was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years in September for the murder of Leyton

Dawick was jailed for life with a minimum of 21 years in September for the murder of Leyton

‘The truth is that Dawick had telephoned Flynn to inform her that something was seriously wrong with Leyton, and telling her that she should return home.’

Flynn arrived home shortly afterwards and dialed 999 but Dawick then left the house by the back door drove off in his car before exchanging text messages with Flynn as an ambulance crew and police came to the house.

As paramedics treated Leyton as he lay barely alive on the living room floor and spotted bruising to his head and arm, Flynn claimed she had been cuddling her son on the sofa when he started sweating, went pale and started making a ‘funny noise.’

Later as police examined the scene and after Leyton had been taken to hospital Dawick returned to the house pretending to know nothing of what happened, it was said. 

Flynn was seen to be ‘telling him’ that Leyton was unwell and had been taken to hospital and Dawick was described as being ‘animated and unhappy’ about the presence of the officers.

Whilst doctors treated Leyton in hospital, Flynn told a consultant paediatrician the baby had woken at about 7am, screaming and said she had taken her son out on the errand with her. 

She said when they returned home, his condition changed, his colour drained from his face and then developed breathing difficulties and she dialled 999.

Flynn admitted getting a panic call from Dawick whilst she was out saying she had to get home quickly and she found Leyton struggling to breathe. 

She insisted to police her boyfriend was a ‘brilliant father’ and said the injuries ‘must have been an accident.’

Her lawyer Nick Johnson QC said in mitigation: ‘She was in a very very difficult position at the time. 

‘She clearly does feel a sense of responsibility and she has been substantially punished already.’



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