Jeremiah Regis murder: Thug who killed youngster after campaign of abuse jailed for at least 21 years
A thug who murdered his two-year-old stepson after the child suffered a sickening catalogue of injuries was this afternoon jailed for at least 21 years.
Chevaze Sanchez McGregor was handed a life sentence after pleading guilty to killing his partner's son, Jeremiah Regis-Ngawah, who died after a traumatic blow to his stomach.
McGregor, 30, used physical chastisement to "toughen children up" according to prosecutors and beat little Jeremiah with fists, a belt and a rod in order to discipline the youngster.
Jeremiah collapsed at their home on Wednesfield High Street on November 20 last year.
He was pronounced dead in hospital in the early hours of the following day.
A post-mortem examination showed Jeremiah died of abdominal peritonitis caused by blunt force trauma.
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The youngster was also found covered with more than 100 previous injuries including a bite mark to his chest and a fractured skull.
The toddler's mother, 26-year-old Sindyann Laverne Regis, pleaded guilty to allowing the death of her son at an earlier hearing and was jailed for three years and four months today.
They were both sentenced at Birmingham Crown Court today.
Opening the facts of the case, prosecutor Sally Howes QC said McGregor formed a relationship with Regis after meeting her at a Pentecostal church when she was around seven months pregnant.
The court heard McGregor was present when Jeremiah was born at the Queen's Hospital in Romford in February 2014.
Miss Howes told the court Jeremiah was pronounced dead at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital, hours after his lifeless body was carried by McGregor to an ambulance.
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A previous hearing was told Jeremiah suffered more than 100 separate injuries, including an adult-sized bite mark which aroused the suspicions of medics.
In police interviews, the court heard, McGregor, who claimed not to remember hitting Jeremiah around the head, produced a letter in which he stated: "Sindyann does not discipline him so it must be me.
"The job of the parent is to correct. God gave us pain so we know to do the right thing."
Regis could be heard sobbing in a room beside the dock after being allowed to leave court as Miss Howes detailed how Jeremiah suffered numerous rib fractures, a bite mark to his chest, bruising and brain injury.
Concluding her summary of the events leading up to the death, Miss Howes told the court: "This is a case of a callous, sustained regime of brutality against a defenceless two-year-old in his own home.
"Jeremiah was left broken and battered with life-threatening injuries and as his life ebbed away moment by agonising moment, Chevaze McGregor stood by and watched, knowing full well what he had done."
Regis initially told police she was unaware of any wrongdoing but later revealed she had seen McGregor holding him off the floor after hearing "loud banging noises" coming from a bedroom.
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Morris said Jeremiah died from multi-organ failure after his abdominal injuries caused septic shock.
The judge told McGregor: "It is hard to imagine the pain inflicted upon such a defenceless child of two years of age.
"The death of a child is always tragic and shocking - the thoughts of a life not lived stay with us all.
"However, words cannot adequately express the horror of the death of an innocent, very young child at the hands of an adult.
"He will have suffered greatly from the beatings meted out by you and from which his mother failed to protect him.
"You were in a position of trust and you abused that trust in the most extreme manner. He was at your mercy in the flat which you shared with his mother."
The judge added: "You say your religious beliefs led you to consider that this was necessary to discipline the young boy.
"However, this is no justification. The nature and frequency of the physical assaults go way beyond anything which could possibly be described as lawful chastisement."
