Boyfriend who caused death of toddler is handed nine-year jail term

A man has been jailed for nine years for manslaughter following the death of a toddler who received fatal injuries after being left in his care.

The child’s mother, convicted of child cruelty after failing to raise concerns despite being aware that her child was being abused, has been given a suspended jail sentence.

Scott Coombe, 24, of Towncourt Lane, Petts Wood pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of 18-month-old Andrew Cawker at a hearing at the Old Bailey in February and was sentenced on Friday.

Coombe had started a relationship in July 2018 with Andrew’s mother, Tamika Beaton, 25, of Cole Street, Southwark.

Coombe moved into Beaton’s flat and, over the course of a year, repeatedly assaulted Andrew, culminating in an incident on July 9, 2019 when the London Ambulance Service was called.

Coombe claimed Andrew had fallen over and suffered a seizure. However, after he was admitted to hospital and examined by medical professionals, suspicions were raised that the injuries sustained could not have been accidental.

Andrew never regained consciousness and died in hospital on July 23.

Coombe was arrested on suspicion of GBH and, following Andrew’s death, he was further arrested on suspicion of murder.

A post-mortem examination concluded Andrew had died as a result of a head injury but a number of other bruises were found around his face and shoulder.

The pathologist remarked that given the level of injuries, the account given by Coombe as to how they were sustained was ‘implausible’.

Detectives examined the phones of both Coombe and Beaton and discovered a series of pictures and messages documenting various injuries suffered by Andrew over a period of months.

While some were accompanied by messages with attempts to explain how they had happened, what was clear was that the injuries were sustained while Andrew was in the sole care of Coombe.

As the injuries continued, Beaton made insinuations to her former partner – Andrew’s father – that the injuries could have been caused by him while he was looking after the toddler.

She repeated these accusations when interviewed by police, despite knowing that the injuries had been sustained when Andrew was being looked after by Coombe.

Beaton also indicated that she was aware that Andrew was sustaining his injuries while in the care of Coombe in messages sent to her mother. However she chose not to take action but instead allowed the abuse to continue.

Beaton, who is from Peckham, was sentenced to 12 months in custody, suspended for 18 months, having previously been found guilty of cruelty to a person under the age of 16.

Detective Sergeant Quinn Cutler, leading the investigation, said: “This is an utterly heartbreaking case where a defenceless child has sustained prolonged abuse at the hands of those who should have been caring for him, resulting in his death.

“Andrew should have been in the place where he felt safe. However, over the course of a year, Andrew suffered regular assaults at the hands of Scott Coombe, culminating in the attack which proved to be fatal.

“His mother clearly suspected Coombe was responsible for these injuries, but chose not to intervene or seek help. Indeed, when questioned by police she sought to place the blame on another man.

“While Beaton did not directly inflict injuries on her son, her inaction most certainly played a part in his death.”

Pictured top: Andrew Cawker (Picture: The Met)