Father beats 4 year old daughter to death just two months after winning custody of her

UK:   A dad who won custody of his four year-old daughter so he could claim more benefits beat her to death just two months later, a court heard.

Carl Wheatley admits killing young Alexa-Marie Quinn in March last year - just two months after the local authority granted him custody from foster parents - but denies it was murder.

The "frustrated" supermarket worker lost his temper and delivered a "sustained period of hard beating" to the youngester, his trial heard.

Wheatley, 30, claims to have called 999 two minutes after Alexa-Marie stopped breathing, but the prosecution say she could have been dead for hours.

St Albans Crown Court heard that in the weeks before her death Wheatley beat Alexa-Marie and caused several of her teeth to fall out.

He made several internet searches for 'how to reduce swelling' and 'what glue can I use to put teeth back in'.

Prosecutor Christopher Donnellan QC said Wheatley fought for custody of Alexa-Marie and his three year-old son so he could claim more benefits.

He said: "He was of the view that having one or both children with him would enhance his benefits and could result in better accommodation."

The court heard Wheatley called emergency services just after 9am on March 12, 2014 after a "period of sustained beating."

He claimed Alexa-Marie had stopped breathing two minutes beforehand but the CPS claimed he waited "some time" before calling emergency services.

When he eventually made the call he said she was drowning because he believed she had fluid on her lungs.

Wheatley, who has ADHD, cried in the dock as the first 999 call he made to emergency services was played in court.

He told the operator: "She's drowned. She's drowned in fluid, she might have internal fluid on her lungs. She needs an ambulance right away.

"I've had her for a few months, I got a bit frustrated with her and I harmed the poor child.

"I'm being honest with you I need to think about my child."

The prosecution said despite Wheatley knowing he had killed his daughter, he phoned emergency services and carried out a "charade" and performed CPR on the child.

Mr Donnellan said: "He lost his temper with her, she was just four-and-a-half years old.

"This wasn't just a single blow, this was a sustained period of hard beating of her."

A pathologist said Alexa-Marie's injuries were caused by "blunt force trauma to the skin".

The court heard in the early hours of the morning that Alexa-Marie died Wheatley made internet searches for 'what effects can internal bleeding cause' and 'can lots of bruising get infected'.

Mr Donnellan added: "In the weeks before she died when he hit her he hit her hard and he hit her more and more.

"He went to considerable lengths to avoid Alexa-Marie being seen by anyone.

"He knew at the time what he was doing and that he was causing her harm. Harm that was visible to the paramedics who witnessed the level of bruising to her lower body.

"That is why we say the charge in this case is murder."

When Alexa-Marie was due to go back to nursery school after half-term in February, Wheatley lied and told staff he was in Leeds and his car had broken down.

Alexa-Marie had been living with Wheatley in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, since January 2014 when he won a long battle with Bedford Borough Council.

She had been in the care of foster parents after being taken from her mother Victoria Quinn several years earlier.

At the time it was unclear who her father was but in 2012 a paternity test proved Wheatley to be the father and he was granted supervised access to the little girl.

After a number of visits and meetings social services granted him full custody and the case was then passed to Hertfordshire County Council.

Mr Donnellan told the jury: "You will hear from a number of agencies over why Mr Wheatley was given custody of Alexa in the first place and why there wasn't more supervision.

"It will be suggested that this could have prevented Alexa's death. But the defendant made his own choices. He chose to not contact anyone for help."

Wheatley was also fighting for custody for another three year-old son, who cannot be named for legal reasons, who he had with another woman.

Wheatley denies murder but admits manslaughter by reasons of diminished responsibility.

The trial continues.