Life Sentences For Grandparents Who Murdered Two-Year-Old Grandson Ethan Ives-Griffiths

By Sammy Jones-

Michael Ives and Kerry Ives- residents of Garden City- Deeside, have been convicted of their grandson’s murder and child cruelty after a six-week trial.

The Mold Crown Court proceedings unveiled the appalling conditions and systematic abuse little Ethan Ives-Griffiths suffered in the weeks following his move to their home in June 2021.

Experts noted the two-year-old was dangerously dehydrated and severely underweight when he died, bearing over 40 visible injuries. This evidence directly contradicted the grandparents’ claim that Ethan simply fell over while watching television.

On August 14, 2021, the tragedy culminated when the toddler sustained a catastrophic and ultimately non-survivable head injury. This forceful blow, likened to injuries from a high-velocity car crash, occurred while his mother, Shannon Ives, was reportedly on the phone upstairs.

Shockingly, his grandmother, Kerry Ives, waited 18 minutes after the collapse before finally calling for an ambulance, first choosing instead to contact one of her other daughters. These deliberate actions, coupled with their long silence, showed a clear attempt to conceal the truth about what truly happened to Ethan Ives-Griffiths.

Witness accounts and CCTV footage documented the systematic mistreatment that Michael and Kerry Ives inflicted upon the young boy. The couple, originally from Wolverhampton, targeted Ethan Ives-Griffiths for physical and emotional abuse, often depriving him of food and water.

For example, Michael Ives was captured on film carrying his grandson by one arm, described in court as handling him “like a bag of rubbish.”

 

 

 

Furthermore, other footage revealed Michael Ives appearing to punch the toddler and encouraging another child to hit him in the head. The abuse extended to cruel punishments, forcing Ethan Ives-Griffiths to stand with his hands on his head when he misbehaved.

Medical examinations after his death revealed that the child had not only suffered the fatal head trauma but also internal abdominal injuries consistent with forceful blows in the days immediately preceding his collapse. Furthermore, experts concluded the toddler would have died from chronic dehydration within days had he not sustained the head injury. Clearly, the environment in the grandparents’ home was incredibly hostile.

The mother of the victim, Shannon Ives, who was living with her parents at the time, was convicted of causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.

Shannon Ives was sentenced to 12 years in prison. Justice Griffiths observed that Shannon Ives was well aware of her parents’ violent nature, having suffered abuse from them during her own childhood. Even though she knew Ethan was not safe and witnessed both her parents hitting him, she failed to notify social services or intervene to protect her child.

She was complicit in the neglect, knowing her son was emaciated, covered in bruises, malnourished, and dehydrated.

Furthermore, she knew he struggled to walk and talk as he had before. This shocking inaction compounded the crimes of the grandparents. Consequently, his mother received a significant custodial sentence for her role.

Judge Mr. Justice Griffiths passed the life sentences, telling the pair they had committed “terrible crimes against your own flesh and blood.” He praised the boy’s character, describing him as a “brave and resilient boy with a strong character” who would even laugh when his abusers hit him. The judge concluded that the couple sought to “break him” after an escalation of violence.

Michael Ives, 48, will serve a minimum of 23 years, and Kerry Ives, 46, will serve a minimum of 17 years before being eligible to apply for parole.

Senior Investigating Officer, Detective Superintendent Chris Bell, stated the sentences reflected the “wicked behaviour” the boy was subjected to. The child’s paternal father, William Griffiths, expressed his hope that justice for his son, Ethan Ives-Griffiths, would allow the family to finally begin to grieve.

This video provides an overview of the conviction and sentencing for the murder of two-year-old Ethan Ives-Griffiths.

 

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• Date
  4th October 2025

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