A two-year-old girl found dead in her pushchair in temporary housing in Ipswich died as a result of an “escalating regime of brutality” in the weeks before her death, a court has heard.

Isabella Wheildon suffered extensive bruising all over her body, fractures to both her wrists and several fractures to her pelvis caused by possible kicking or stamping after 22-year-old Scott Jeff started a relationship with her mum Chelsea Gleason- Mitchell, who was also 22, Ipswich Crown Court heard.

“From that time up to her death Isabella was subjected to an escalating regime of brutality that was callous, cruel and ultimately fatal,” said Sally Howes KC, prosecuting.

“It is the prosecution case that Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, Isabella’s mother stood back and watched, did nothing and allowed this to happen, “ said Miss Howes.

Jeff, now 24, and Gleason-Mitchell, now 24, of no fixed address, have denied murdering Isabella Wheildon between June 26-30 last year.

Jeff has also denied causing or allowing the death of a child between June 26-30 last year.

He has also denied two offences of cruelty to a child under 16 between June 26-30.

Gleason-Mitchell has pleaded guilty to causing or allowing the death of a child and two offences of cruelty to a child under 16. 

At the start of the couple’s trial today ( Tuesday) a jury heard that police went to temporary Ipswich Borough Council housing in Sidegate Lane, Ipswich on June 30 last year after Gleason-Mitchell told a friend her child had died.

After hostel staff let police into a bathroom in a flat at the premises an officer found a pushchair in the shower covered in blankets.

When the officer removed the last blanket he saw the face of a young child with severe facial bruising and when he touched one of her arms it was cold and stiff.

She had been dead for several days, said Miss Howes.

A post-mortem examination found Isabella had suffered extensive external traumatic injury to soft tissue on her head, neck, torso, limbs and back and a large area of tearing to her perineum.

She also had fractures to both her wrists and a complex fracture to her pelvis involving several bones which had occurred in the two weeks before her death.

The court heard that the cause of Isabella’s death was bone marrow embolism caused by skeletal trauma.

Miss Howes said that a pathologist who carried out Isabella’s post mortem examination described the damage to her pelvis as “severe” with kicking and stamping as possible causes.

Miss Howes said: “It’s the prosecution case that Isabella had been a happy, contented, well cared for little girl until Scott Jeff came into her young life.”

The court heard that in the weeks before Isabella’s death Jeff, Gleason-Mitchell and Isabella had stayed at hotels, caravan parks and a tent in the area of Great Yarmouth and Caister-on-Sea before moving into the temporary accommodation in Sidegate Lane in Ipswich.

The trial, which is expected to last between six and eight weeks, is being heard by High Court judge, The Hon. Mr Justice Neil Garnham.

The defendants are both formerly of Bedfordshire.

Isabella was born in Stevenage in Hertfordshire on September 22, 2020.

The trial continues.