Grandparents Found Guilty After Starving 2-Year-Old Grandson to Death—While His Mom Was Just Upstairs, on the Phone

Ethan Ives-Griffiths had a severe head injury and was covered in bruises when he was fatally injured on Aug. 14, 2021, according to reports

Two grandparents in Wales have been found guilty of the murder of their 2-year-old grandson after he was taken to a hospital with fatal injuries, looking “painfully thin” and covered in bruises, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, July 15, Mold Crown Court heard that “Michael Ives and Kerry Ives, both of Kingsley Road, Garden City, Deeside, and their daughter, Shannon Ives, of Nant Garmon, Mold, were all found guilty of cruelty to a child” following the death of Ethan Ives-Griffiths in August 2021, North Wales Police said in a press release.

Michael, 47, and Kerry, 46, were convicted of the murder of the toddler, per the post, while his mother, Shannon, 28, was convicted of causing or allowing his death.

As previously reported by PEOPLE last month, the trial heard that the grandparents had allegedly treated the victim with “casual brutality,” with the prosecutor previously stating that other children had been encouraged to mistreat the victim as “play,” per the BBC.

When he was taken to the hospital on Aug. 14, 2021 — two days before his life-support machine was turned off — Ethan “was painfully thin,” and doctors discovered he was covered in bruises and a total of 40 injury marks, as well as “being dangerously dehydrated, with cracked, dry lips,” the BBC noted.

Police said in Tuesday’s release, “During proceedings, the court heard harrowing details of the neglect and abuse Ethan suffered. When failing to conform with Michael Ives’ wishes, Ethan was put in stress positions, starved of food and water, and was casually and brutally assaulted.”

“This behavior was in stark contrast to how his siblings were treated,” the post continued. “Tragically, this sustained period of abuse ended with him being murdered by his grandfather.”

ITV previously reported that the court had heard that Ethan’s head injuries before his death were “catastrophic.”

Jayaratnam Jayamohan — a paediatric neurosurgeon at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, U.K. — said that the victim’s brain was so swollen, he was essentially “having a stroke to a whole half of his brain,” per the BBC. He suggested the victim had been subjected to an impact or “physical contact” such as a fist, hand, or knee, or had likely been “shaken vigorously” before he was fatally injured, the outlet reported.

Ethan had been living with his grandparents since the end of June 2021, after his mother, Shannon, had broken up with her son’s father, Will Griffiths, following a domestic dispute, the BBC stated. Shannon then moved into the Garden City, Flintshire home a few weeks later.

On the night of her son’s fatal injuries, Shannon had been upstairs on the phone when he collapsed, the BBC reported.

“The only people that were inside that room – and it’s not in doubt, it’s from their own evidence themselves – was Kerry and Michael,” Detective Superintendent Chris Bell said, per the outlet, stating he was convinced that the couple had “developed a pact” to hide the truth. It took them almost 20 minutes to call emergency services after their grandson collapsed.

CCTV footage from the family’s home shown during the trial saw Michael carrying his grandson by the top of his arm, as well as appearing to show him punching him after placing him in a car seat, per Sky News, among other harrowing clips.

Ethan had been placed on the U.K.’s child protection register, which required him to be checked on by authorities every 10 days, the outlet noted. However, his mother, Shannon, said he was having a nap on Aug. 5, 2021, during one attempted visit.

In the days before the victim’s tragic death, no one answered the door when a social worker went to the home, and a scheduled health visitor appointment for Aug. 13 had been canceled, per Sky News.

Detective Bell said following Tuesday’s verdict, “Michael, Kerry and Shannon Ives held positions of responsibility and should have shown Ethan love, care and protection. Instead, Michael caused distress, pain and misery to his grandson before brutally taking his life nearly four years ago in August 2021,” per the police release.

“Kerry and Shannon both watched and took no action as the abuse unfolded in the home they all shared,” he added.

“Their behaviour was beyond comprehension, and it is impossible to imagine the terror a two-year-old would feel in suffering the horrific injuries he endured – inflicted upon him by those regarded as his closest family,” Bell continued.

“We saw from images of Ethan how he significantly deteriorated over the seven-week period he had lived with his grandparents, up until his murder,” the officer said.

His message included, “It is not possible to be sure exactly what Ethan experienced behind closed doors during that time, but sadly, we know from the evidence gathered that he suffered significantly.”

Ethan’s dad, Will Griffiths, said in a statement shared by North Wales Police and obtained by PEOPLE, “Unfortunately, I did not get much time with Ethan, but the time I did have was precious.”

“He will never be forgotten and will always live on in our hearts and memories,” he added. “He will be remembered for the smiley, outgoing, loving child that he was.”

“He can now rest in peace, knowing that justice has been served,” Griffiths concluded.

All three suspects will be sentenced at Mold Crown Court on Friday, Oct. 3 of this year.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) had no additional comments to add at this time when contacted by PEOPLE.