Tragic baby parents give evidence

The father of a three-year-old who had 54 injury marks on his body when he died thought the teenage girl accused of killing his son loved the little boy "to bits", a jury heard.

John Lovell told Wolverhampton Crown Court that 19-year-old Kayley Boleyn, who denies murder, "always acted well" with children.

Boleyn and 25-year-old boyfriend Chris Taylor had been looking after little Ryan Lovell-Hancox for several weeks at a flat in Bilston before he died from a cardiac arrest on Christmas Eve 2008 in hospital where he was taken with head injuries.

The court was told Boleyn was being paid at least £20-a-week to look after him by the boy's mother Amy Hancox, who said she could not cope.

Giving evidence yesterday, John Lovell said he had split up with 21-year-old Amy and had last seen Ryan on December 17, 2008, five days before the child was taken to hospital and died two days later. "He was wearing his pyjamas but I did not see a mark on Ryan's body or anything unusual about his appearance," said Mr Lovell. "He was his usual self and gave me a love."

It was the first time he had visited the flat in Slim Avenue, Bradley, where Boleyn and Taylor were living with Ryan. Mr Lovell continued: "I knew he'd stayed there a couple of times but did not know he was staying there all the time.."

Miss Hancox said she had been struggling when Boleyn offered to look after Ryan in November 2008. She told the jury: "I'd known Kayley since she was nine and I was 11 and trusted her. I'd seen her care well for her two younger sisters and she was someone I thought appropriate to care for Ryan when I needed help."

Ryan was taken to New Cross on the evening of December 22, 2008. Boleyn travelled with him and later met the boy's mother at the hospital. Miss Hancox recalled: "She kept saying 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' She was very upset."

Both deny murder and cruelty. Taylor also pleads not guilty to causing or allowing the death of Ryan. Boleyn admits allowing the death. The case continues.