Chilling moment upset neighbour of boy, 9, ‘murdered by his mother and her boyfriend during lockdown’ calls 999 to say ‘they are doing something bad to their kid in the bath’
- Carla Scott, 35, and Dirk Howell, 41, are accused of murdering Alfie Steele
- Neighbour Gemma Allcott made the harrowing call six months before his death
This is the chilling moment the neighbour of a nine-year-old who was ‘murdered by his mother and her boyfriend during lockdown’ called 999 to say ‘they are doing something bad to their kid in the bath’.
Carla Scott, 35, and her partner, Dirk Howell, 41, are both accused of murdering schoolboy Alfie Steele in Droitwich, Worcestershire on February 18, 2021.
The couple allegedly killed Alfie after subjecting him to a ‘cruel and sinister’ regime of punishment which included whipping him with belts and flip flops.
In the harrowing call made at 8.39pm on August 3, 2020 – around six months before Alfie’s death – upset neighbour Gemma Allcott described ‘thrashing’ sounds coming from the house.
She told the call operator: ‘It sounds like my neighbours are doing something bad to their kid in the bath. Like they are really hurting them.’
Carla Scott, 35, and her partner, Dirk Howell, 41, are both accused of murdering schoolboy Alfie Steele (pictured) in Droitwich, Worcestershire on February 18, 2021
Body-cam cameras captured the landing full of paramedics and officers with Carla Scott (pictured) standing in the doorway of a ‘dark, dirty and dishevelled’ bedroom where Alfie’s body was found
Dirk Howell (pictured) was arrested trying to board a train at a railway station following the death of the nine-year-old
The video was played to the jury at the Coventry Crown Court trial earlier this month and recently released by the Crown Prosecution Service.
Ms Allcott said she called 999 after 15 minutes of hearing the noises which sounded like a child being hit and held under the water.
She said: ‘I hear lots of banging and it sounds like someone thrashing around in a bathtub.’
Ms Allcott added it was ‘concerning’ as she understood social services were involved with the family and the police had been before ‘a few times.’
She adds: ‘I can still hear banging…I just heard a big bang….I heard swearing…I heard f***ing something but it just sounded threatening.
‘It sounds like a kid was really distressed.’
The court heard Sergeant Samantha Bennett attended the house and observed Ms Scott had been annoyed they had attended, telling them she knew the neighbours had called the police on them.
After leaving the police were called again by Ms Allcott after Alfie’s mother went round to her house.
Footage shows the landing full of paramedics and officers with Carla Scott standing in the doorway of Alife’s room
Ms Scott making a phone call to Mr Howell to ask him where he was
Ms Allcott had not answered the door to Ms Scott telling police she did not want a confrontation.
In her evidence Ms Scott told the court the noises could be attributed to playing in the bath when the bathroom floor was turned ‘into a swimming pool’.
Scott said it had been Mr Howell’s idea to go round and confront the neighbours.
She added she had initially lied to police that she went round to her neighbour’s home as she: ‘Didn’t want to get into trouble’.
The court heard Alfie died from over 50 different injuries and his lifeless body was found in the bath at his ‘dishevelled’ home.
Mr Howell, of Newtown, Birmingham, previously admitted child cruelty against other children but denies murder, manslaughter, cruelty or causing or allowing the death of Alfie.
Ms Scott denies murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of Alfie and child cruelty offences against Alfie and other children.
The trial continues.
Post source: Daily mail
