Evil killer filmed dying stepson, 3
AWOMAN who filmed her three-yearold stepson as he lay dying from a brain injury has been jailed for 15 years for manslaughter.
Leila Borrington, 23, killed Harvey Borrington by slapping him “multiple times” around the head, a court heard.
In the months before he died, she launched two other attacks on the little boy – who suffered from severe non-verbal autism – leaving him with a broken arm and marks on his face.
And after she inflicted “unsurvivable” injuries, including a skull fracture, on Harvey in August 2021, Borrington delayed calling emergency services.
Instead, she filmed the tot lying unconscious on his side, lifted his arm up and dropped it loosely to the floor.
She then sent the footage to the youngster’s dad, saying: “Why does this happen to me?”.
When paramedics were finally called to her home in Jacksdale, Notts, they found Harvey “deeply unconscious” and “unresponsive”. He died in hospital two days later.
Passing sentence at Nottingham Crown Court yesterday, Mr Justice Nicklin told Borrington her behaviour towards Harvey showed a “shocking lack of care and concern”.
He added: “During the trial we saw video footage of Harvey playing with his toys and placing items into the dishwasher.
“Within less than 30 minutes, further video footage showed Harvey unconscious on the living room floor.
“Precisely what happened to Harvey only you know.”
But the judge said the cause of Harvey’s death “must have been a sustained violent assault”.
Borrington claimed Harvey was injured after he fell backwards off a sofa, but she was found guilty last month of manslaughter and separate charges of assault and causing grievous bodily harm to Harvey, relating to incidents in April and July 2021.
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC claimed she targeted Harvey, who communicated through hand gestures and a handful of words, because he was unable to tell anyone he was in pain.
Harvey’s heartbroken mum, Katie Holroyd, yesterday told the court he was “the most loving little boy anyone could have wished for”.
In her victim statement she added: “I cannot bear to think of him lying on the floor dying, with her filming him and delaying getting help.”