Sick thug who savagely beat and poisoned toddler, one, to death is jailed

A MONSTER who poisoned his girlfriend's one-year-old daughter to death in a callous bid to cover up his savage beatings has been caged for life.

Little Eve Leatherland was battered to death by Tom Curd, 31, who gave her a dose of codeine so strong it was enough to kill an adult.

As the tot lay dying with fractures similar to those seen in a car crash, the monster played video games with Eve's mum Abigail Leatherland before finally raising the alarm.

By the time emergency services arrived at the home in Liskeard, Cornwall, Eve had been dead for "many hours".

The cruel pair even laughed and joked while tragic Eve was dead in her hospital bed and re

Curd was today caged for a minimum of 20 years after being found guilty of murder after just three hours of jury deliberation following a trial at Truro Crown Court.

If he is released, he will will be on license for rest of life.

Leatherland, 26, was convicted of causing or allowing a child to die and was jailed for three-and-a-half years.

'YOU FAILED HER OVER AND OVER AGAIN'
Sentencing Curd, Mrs Justice May said: “You wilfully failed Eve over and over again. You assaulted her and gave her codeine.

"For much of the time during her final days Eve was lying on a dirty mattress with no cover. It was a bleak, disorientating and comfortless way for her to go.”

The judge also slammed Leatherland for failing to protect her daughter after Curd inflicted "multiple incidents of serious violence" using "significant force".

She added: "I do believe you weren’t aware of the risk caused by Thomas Curd and up to that week you cared for your children and they were both happy and healthy.

"I bear in mind your remorse and the greatest punishment will be that you failed your daughter when she needed you and had you acted she’d still be alive.”

CAR CRASH INJURIES
Harrowing pictures released after the verdicts show the blood-stained mattress Eve, who was suffering from a viral infection in her final weeks, was forced to sleep on.

Teddy bears and toys can be seen at the base of the filthy mattress, which has been shoved in the corner of the room.

Other sickening images show Eve's broken wooden cot - with dark green mould creeping up the base.

Jurors heard how evil Curd inflicted a number of fractures to Eve's skull and ribs as he savagely beat her - with some bones re-broken during the healing process by the brute.

The tot had more than 20 bruises and cuts to her head and some to her body and had no trace of food in her stomach when she died on October 5, 2017.

PAIR 'DID NOTHING TO HELP HER'
Medical experts also revealed Eve had a lacerated liver and eventually died from a codeine overdose - which she could have survived if help had been sought sooner.

She had enough codeine in her system to kill an adult.

But instead of helping the toddler, Curd and Leatherland "watched TV, played video games, sent each other text messages and chatted to people on Facebook".

This was just feet away from where Eve was "weakening and then dying on her bed".

Sean Brunton, prosecuting, said: "Neither of them did a thing to help her."

By the time emergency services arrived, Eve had been dead for "many hours" and rigor mortis had already set in.

'SHE WAS WHITE AND NOT MOVING'
After she was arrested, Leatherland said Curd had been left alone with Eve while she did nursery runs in the days before the toddler's death.

On the day she died, she claimed she asked Curd to get Eve up to feed her, adding: "He went upstairs and came back with Eve.

"I remember seeing her and she was white and not moving. Tom put her on the rug and started CPR and that's when I rang 999."

The cruel mum also tried claiming she had no idea Eve was suffering at the hands of her lover - and put the youngster's recent drowsiness down to a viral infection.

During sentencing, it was heard she was a "loving mother" before Curd arrived in her life.

Eve's dad Dean Bird, who made the 10-hour round trip from Mansfield to Truro Crown Court every day, yesterday slammed his ex and her new boyfriend.

He said: "I was really angry, I just wanted to rip their heads off. I had all sorts of emotions going on and before the trial I didn't know everything about the case and all of Eve's injuries.

"I looked at him (Curd) a couple of times and the anger just boiled up inside me. I saw him looking at me and we locked eyes.

"Now I've got to win the rights for Eve's body so I can lay her to rest properly."