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XMAS DAY KILLING
Finley Boden’s parents GUILTY of causing baby 130 injuries in ‘savage’ murder days after tot placed back in their care
A SADISTIC mum and dad have been found guilty of beating and burning their baby son to death days after he was placed back in their care.
Stephen Boden, 30, and Shannon Marsden, 22, killed 10-month-old Finley Boden in a "savage and brutal" murder on Christmas Day.
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The tot suffered an "appalling" catalogue of injuries including 71 bruises and two burn marks.
Finley also had 57 fractures to his tiny body that had been inflicted in the short period before he collapsed at home in Chesterfield, Derbyshire.
Tragically, the youngster had been returned to Boden and Marsden's care just 39 days before he was killed.
The evil couple have now been convicted of murder amid tears from the judge and some of the jury.
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During a harrowing trial, jurors were told Finley had been placed into care shortly after he was born.
But after being returned to his parents during lockdown in 2020, he was subjected to "repeated acts of severe violence".
The baby was also forced to live in squalor at the family home and slept on a vomit and faeces-stained cot mattress cover.
Even before he was handed back to Marsden and Boden, the couple had searched for several news articles relating to parent-involved child deaths.
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One November 19, 2020 - the day he came home - similar chilling internet searches were also carried out.
Among Finley's horrific injuries were burns caused by a "hot, flat surface" and another possibly from a cigarette lighter.
His pelvis had also been broken in two places - possibly after he was kicked or stamped on - and the inside of his mouth was torn.
He later developed pneumonia and sepsis as his drug-user parents worked together to hide his injuries from social services.
Just days before Finley's death, messages were sent on their shared mobile phone reading: "Little one f***ing kept me up all night.
"I want to bounce him off the walls. Haha."
Another text read: "F***ing been up all night, little one has been ill as f**k."
Although it was not clear who sent the texts, Boden did message his drug dealer saying: "Just kid and missus doing my nut, and need a smoke bad. Haha."
On Christmas Day 2020, paramedics scrambled to the home found Marsden "upset and screaming" as Boden attempted to resuscitate their stricken son.
Finley was rushed to hospital but tragically he couldn't be saved and was declared dead shortly after.
But callous Marsden and Boden showed no remorse over their son's death and even spoke about Christmas dinner in the police car and plans to sell Finley's pram.
The following day, they were heard "laughing and joking" at a relative's house.
Despite their bail conditions stating they were barred from making contact, the couple continued having a sexual relationship.
They only split up when they were charged with murder and then sought to blame each other for Finley's death.
Shameless Boden even tried pinning the 130 injuries on "rocking Finley too hard".
But jurors saw through their lies after being told he and Marsden to this day remain "in it together".
Boden, of Barrow Hill, Chesterfield, and Marsden, of no fixed address, denied murder, two counts of child cruelty, and two charges of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The pair will be sentenced at a later date.
Andrew Baxter, Crown Prosecution Service deputy chief crown prosecutor, said: "The violence these two individuals inflicted and their wilful neglect in covering up his injuries is incomprehensible, as his parents they should have been the ones who protected him from harm, not be the cause of it.
"These defendants sought to have their child returned to their care and then treated him in this appalling manner.
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"It was clear that Finley's injuries were obvious and that he needed help, yet his own parents chose to ignore his needs to protect themselves."
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