Twisted lovers handed life sentences for murdering two-year-old Liam Fee
SADISTIC Rachel Trelfa and Nyomi Fee begin life behind bars after catalogue of abuse against three young children
A MONSTER mum and her partner have been jailed for life for murdering her two-year-old son.
Twisted killers Rachel Trelfa, 31, and Nyomi Fee, 29, stood stony-faced as they were handed life sentences for killing Liam Fee in March 2014.
Lord Burns told Rachel and Nyomi Fee they "grossly abused" parental responsibilities in a "cruel regime of neglect and ill treatment" as he put them behind bars for a total of 50 years.
He sentenced Nyomi Fee to 24 years for murdering Liam and the ill-treatment of her other children.
Rachel Trelfa, or Fee, was handed a life sentence with a minimum of 23.5 years for the murder.
Liam suffered injuries similar to those of car crash victims and died after suffering a ruptured heart from blunt force trauma to his body.
He had more than 30 external injuries on his tiny body at the time of his death, including an untreated broken leg and fractured arm.
The toddler's dad looked straight ahead as his ex-partner and her new lover were given the punishment.
A court heard instead of treating the youngster's injuries, the pair searched the internet for terms including "how do you die of a broken hip?" and "can wives be in prison together?"
Judge Lord Burns slammed the pair for their wilful neglect of Liam and two other young boys.
Following background reports both women were also sentenced for the abuse of other children who gave vital evidence to secure conviction against the pair.
The youngsters told how they were imprisoned in a home-made cage and tied naked to a chair in a dark room full of snakes and rats.
Disturbing images shown during the trial showed the house of horrors the young boy was killed in.
The couple denied killing Liam at their home in Glenrothes, Fife and shockingly blamed the murder on another young boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons.
A jury of eight women and six men found them guilty by majority of assault and murder at the seven-week trial at the High Court in Livingston.
Defending Mr McConnachie said Rachel Fee has been "effectively disowned by her entire family" and will be "very much alone" in prison.
Prosecutor Alex Prentice QC told the court the women were guilty of "unyielding, heartless cruelty".
Brian McConnachi, defending Rachel Fee, says the evil mum says there has been a "miscarriage of justice".
They were also found guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice by trying to blame Liam's death on one of the boys.
The case of "unyielding, heartless cruelty" was one of the most distressing ever heard in a Scottish courtroom, with some evidence reducing jury members to tears.
Jurors heard there had been an escalation of violence towards the blonde-haired, blue-eyed tot in the run-up to his death, which included the couple failing to get help for the toddler for his broken leg and fractured arm.
Their "callous indifference" to his injuries would have left the child in agony, but the killers refused to get him medical aid.
Under oath the women admitted serious failings over the lack of medical help sought for Liam and put it down to fears the child would be taken into care.
The pair denied murder and tried to shift the blame onto a boy of primary school age, who they claimed had been acting in a sexual way towards Liam.
The boy was so scared of the women he initially told police he had "strangled" Liam, but an autopsy confirmed that was not how the toddler died.
The evidence pointed to a significant delay between the women's discovery Liam was dead and contacting emergency services.
A seemingly hysterical Fee called shortly before 8pm on the night Liam died.
The "panicking" pair used the time instead to dismantle a makeshift cage they built to imprison the youngster they falsely accused of killing Liam.
Harrowing evidence given by the boys in a series of lengthy video interviews were crucial to securing the convictions.
The trial heard a number of people expressed concern about Liam's wellbeing during his short life.
A significant case review is being carried out into the circumstances leading up to Liam's death after a number of witnesses told the trial they raised concerns about the toddler's health and wellbeing with social services.
Assistant Chief Constable Malcolm Graham, lead officer for Major Crime and Public Protection, today said: "Police Scotland is committed to protecting those who are at risk of abuse and violence in our communities and to working with our partners to ensures child protection is a priority.
"We will work with our child protection partners to ensure the Significant Case Review identifies any recommendations which can be taken forward to ensure communities have the utmost confidence in protective and welfare services.
Matt Forde of NSPCC Scotland said: "Those responsible for Liam's brutal murder have quite rightly received long jail terms.
"It is incomprehensible how two people who were meant to look after children in their care could subject them to such appalling abuse.
"They chose to murder a defenceless child in the most horrific way, abuse other children and shamefully attempted to shift the blame for Liam's death on to another child.
"Details of the horrendous abuse this couple inflicted on Liam and the other children were shocking to hear and the sentences passed today reflect the brutality of their crimes."
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