'A lovely smiley little boy': How Jeremiah Regis' death rocked a community
He was known as The Smiley Boy; always polite, well behaved and as sensible as any boisterous two-year-old can be.
But little Jeremiah Regis-Ngaujah is the latest sad statistic on a growing roll call of tragic child deaths in Wolverhampton.
The youngster suffered head and body injuries at the block of flats on Wednesfield High Street shared with stepfather Chevaze McGregor and mother Sindyann Regis.
Jeremiah was subjected to physical chastisement by McGregor, who used his fists and items including a belt and a rod to discipline the small boy.
After collapsing at the home, Sindyann knocked on neighbours’ doors at the flats where she lived claiming her son was unwell and had been sick.
An ambulance was called and despite frantic efforts by medical staff, Jeremiah was pronounced dead.
The boy’s death dealt a wave of shock in the Wednesfield community, with police stationed at the door to the block of flats from the Sunday night of the boy being taken to hospital to the Friday.
The area is just off a bustling high street and despite the odd blast of graffiti the residents do their best to keep it looking as tidy as possible.
Jeremiah lived at a block of four flats behind the Compton Hospice shop on the High Street.
Neighbours and workers near the flats told of their disbelief that the ‘lovely, smiley little boy’ had died.
Steph Layton, aged 32, works for Betfred on the High Street.
She said: “He was such a lovely, smiley little boy.”
She saw the family regularly as she would go out the back for a cigarette break.
The mother-of-five said: "He was always smiling. It’s unbelievable. You don’t believe things like this happen.
Her colleague Joanne Porter, 52, said: “I saw the little boy many times. They would come in and out doing the school run.
“We would nod our heads at the adults but we didn’t engage in conversation. The mother would sometimes come in to collect parcels.
“Jeremiah was smiley. He looked clean and well cared for. It’s just horrible.”
Rav Singh, who works at Newstop, one of the row of shops that runs below the flats, said the family would come in a couple of times a week.
He said: “They would buy sweets for the child and top up their gas and electric. I would give him free toys as they said they didn’t have much money.
“He was really nice. He was not a naughty kid, he was sensible. It is so sad. I was shocked when I found out. It put a chill in my bones.”
Neighbours from nearby flats were also left stunned by what happened.
Debria Gore, 52, said: “What I can’t get my head around is it being so close to home.
“I would see them on Sundays. They would go to church and get picked up by a white van.
“It is quite a rough area here but the people are fantastic, there are no problems.”
Jodie Emery, 26, said: “I’ve got two kids of my own.
“It’s terrible, he was only two and a half years old.
“I have lived here for three years and I have probably only seen them a couple of times. The child always had a smile on his face.”
Kim Harper, who works on the CT Furniture market stall on the High Street, said: “You have to consider the events in the build up to it but it’s just dreadful.
“A child is a sad loss for anybody. I don’t like to think of harm coming to any child.”
Wolverhampton South East MP Pat McFadden said he spoke to agencies following the death of Ryan Lovell-Hancox almost 10 years ago.
He said: “Of course it concerns me – the death of a young child is of huge concern to us all.”
He added: “How do public agencies stop the deaths of young children when it often involves family members or people close to them – that is probably the most difficult issue for the authorities.
“But the authorities must do everything they can to try and prevent these deaths and constantly try to learn from previous cases, ask themselves what more can be done. This is a very difficult task.”
Wednesfield North councillor Phil Bateman said: “It is horrendous. That’s not the sort of news people want to hear.
“It’s very sad. I really don’t understand why it keeps happening.”
Gavin Williamson MP for South Staffordshire said: “It is most tragic.
“More needs to be done to investigate ways to try and stop any future incidents.”
Councillor Patricia Patten, from the Penn ward, expressed shock over another baby death.
She recalled her horror at hearing of the death of 23-month-old Daniel Jones in her ward in 2012.
She said: “It is shocking. It will be interesting to see if they were known to social services.
“I remember when there was the little boy here in Penn that died, and there was another one in Pendeford.
“I know a lot of deaths have happened in Wolverhampton but I don’t think it’s just here. I think it’s all over the country.
“Every time we say ‘it can’t happen again’, but it always happens again.
“The thing is, how do you prevent it from happening? I don’t know what the answer is.”
