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Killed at the hands of mum's new boyfriend

Nicola Dowling and Mike Slingsby
14/12/2005

LITTLE Courtney Crockett never stood a chance. While the angelic three-year-old's friends were all celebrating the perfect Christmas, she was being beaten black and blue.

As they were unwrapping their presents, Courtney was nursing the latest injuries inflicted on her by her neglectful mother's latest boyfriend. And just days later she was dead.

Police believe sadistic Gareth Rees, 21, killed Courtney - who suffered 100 injuries - by either kicking, punching or swinging her by her legs and hitting her head against a wall during Christmas last year.

Following the harrowing case yesterday - which reduced some in court to tears - Rees, from Benchill, Wythenshawe, was jailed for 10 years after admitting manslaughter and child cruelty against Courtney and another child who survived more of his violent outbursts.

Heartless mum Sandra Bennell, 24, of Borth Walk, Baguley, who turned a blind eye to what was happening, was jailed for three years after admitting child cruelty against Courtney and another child.

Anger

Rees was originally charged with murder but pleaded guilty at Manchester Crown Court to manslaughter which carries a lesser sentence saying he did not mean to kill the little girl.

Police said that among the catalogue of cruelty, he treated Courtney as a "human remote control" for the television, hitting her with a baton he called his "decorating stick" made from a cardboard tube stuffed with paper and wrapped in tape if she did not change the channel quickly enough or do as he said.

He forced her to call him "sir" or "daddy" and tied her to a radiator with scarves before kicking and hitting her.

Today her biological father, Paul Crockett, 24, from Sale, said the Crown Prosecution Service should not have accepted his plea to the lesser charge. Police, some of whom suffered nightmares as a result of dealing with the case, are also understood to be livid at the decision.

Mr Crockett said: "Ten years is not enough. When I saw her in hospital I could not believe what he had done to her. I have a lot of anger." The Crown Prosecution Service said the plea was accepted because it was not possible to prove Rees deliberately set out to kill the little girl. The court heard in the ten days before her death she had been subjected to repeated acts of violence culminating in the final killer blow.

She died just a few days later in hospital on January 5.

While it is thought the blow which killed her happened in the hours or days before she began fitting, police believe Rees began hitting the little girl soon after he moved into her mother's house in December.

On Christmas Day and again on Boxing Day, she complained to Rees' relatives, who were visiting, of a bump to her head.

Pathologists who examined the little girl said as well as the marks to her head, the tot had a catalogue of more than 100 injuries including a bite to her leg, whiplash type injuries to her neck and a burn which looked like it could have been caused by a cigarette.

Judge Clement Goldstone said Christmas should have been a time of happiness and excitement for Courtney, but added "nothing could have been further from reality," as a result of the "despicable and appalling offences" and "torture" of a defenceless child.

He described an "incremental" build-up of violence by Rees as increasing "like a gathering storm."

Stressing that there was no suggestion Bennell harmed the child herself, he added: "Your behaviour did not help because you were out with different men on several consecutive nights sleeping away from home, not seeking to exercise any parental responsibility and at the very least, turning a blind eye to the ill treatment to which the child was being subjected on an ever-increasing basis."

The court was told if it had not been for a neighbour who intervened to try to help the child, the pair may not have called the ambulance.

Rees had not known Bennell for long but had moved into her house by December and become sole carer for the child.

Social Services said that while Bennell had a social worker there was no suggestion beforehand that the child was at "serious risk". A review has been launched to see if lessons can be learned.

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