A mother and her former partner have been convicted of killing her two-year-old son, Kyrell Matthews, following weeks of violent abuse. The toddler was found in cardiac arrest at a home in Thornton Heath, south London, in October 2019, with 41 rib fractures. His mother, Phylesia Shirley, 24, claimed the injuries were caused by CPR she administered.
At the Old Bailey, Shirley was found guilty of manslaughter, while Kemar Brown was convicted of murder. The court heard harrowing audio recordings made by Shirley to monitor Brown's infidelity, which captured the abuse. In one recording, Brown can be heard hitting Kyrell and telling him to 'shut up', while another captures Shirley striking her son.
Prosecutor Edward Brown QC said Shirley prioritised her relationship over her child's welfare, leading to catastrophic abuse. The court also heard that Kyrell had a 4cm cut to his liver and internal bleeding at the time of his death. A passer-by had reported shouting and screaming from the flat in July 2019, and Kyrell had previously been hospitalised with a facial injury in May 2019, which was deemed 'plausible' by hospital staff.
Judge Mr Justice Lucraft QC told Shirley she should feel 'utterly ashamed' for her actions. Brown has previous convictions for robbery, battery, and knife possession. Detective Chief Inspector Kate Kieran described the audio evidence as 'harrowing', while Senior Crown Prosecutor Samantha Yelland called the case 'horrific'. Both defendants declined to give evidence in their defence.
