Police found a 2-year-old de*ad in a stroller days after she was said to have been mu*rdered.
A 24-year-old man has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the m*urder of 2-year-old Isabella Jonas-Wheildon, whose body was discovered in Ipswich last summer, according to Suffolk Police. Scott Jeff received a life sentence with a minimum term of 26 years. The girl’s mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, also 24, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for her role in the child’s de*ath.
Gleason-Mitchell, who was tried alongside Jeff, was acquitted of mur*der but had previously pleaded guilty to allowing the dea*th of a child and two counts of child cruelty. Jeff was also found guilty of two counts of child cruelty.
Isabella’s body was discovered on June 30, 2023, in a stroller in Ipswich, where Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell had been staying. It is believed she died on June 26. The couple was arrested on July 1 after fleeing Ipswich.
The court heard that Isabella sustained severe injuries, including fractures to her wrists and pelvis, consistent with being kicked or stamped on. A bone marrow embolism and skeletal trauma were determined as the cause of de*ath. A world-leading bone expert testified that Isabella’s injuries were the worst he had seen in his 40-year career.
The prosecution argued that Isabella’s injuries occurred after Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell began their relationship in May 2023. The couple had left Bedfordshire on June 1, claiming to be fleeing domestic abuse, a claim later admitted to be false. They moved to Ipswich on June 19.
During their time in Ipswich, CCTV footage showed the pair frequently leaving Isabella alone in the flat. On June 26, Jeff was seen on CCTV with his arm in a makeshift sling, which Gleason-Mitchell claimed was due to him hitting Isabella during the fatal attack. Later that evening, Isabella began having difficulty breathing and the couple claimed they attempted CPR. Gleason-Mitchell stated that Isabella died at 11:37 p.m.
In the days following Isabella’s de*ath, the couple continued their daily activities, pushing her body around in a stroller. Gleason-Mitchell eventually confided in a friend, who alerted police. Officers discovered Isabella’s body in the stroller on June 30.
During the trial, Gleason-Mitchell admitted witnessing Jeff assault Isabella and failing to intervene. Jeff denied assaulting Isabella, claiming he was unaware of how she sustained her injuries. The jury found Jeff guilty of mu*rder by a unanimous verdict.The judge described Jeff’s actions as “monstrous” and called Gleason-Mitchell “weak and spineless” for failing to protect her daughter.