# 258: Alfie Steele

An episode of [Morbidology](https://invisiblenetwork.ai/podcast/1463979546), 27 May 2024, 59 min.

Audio: https://prefix.up.audio/s/dts.podtrac.com/redirect.mp3/s.gum.fm/s-610c47a4222ada0024acb2d8/pscrb.fm/rss/p/prfx.byspotify.com/e/tracking.swap.fm/track/2IMk17EdnEqyRhJTIpIU/claritaspod.com/measure/api.spreaker.com/download/episode/59794117/morbidology_258_alfie_steele.mp3

The tranquil streets of Droitwich, nestled in the historic county of Worcester, England, were thrust into the spotlight on the 18th of February, 2021. That afternoon, a distressing phone call pierced the calm, as a woman dialed emergency services to report a harrowing discovery: her son, unresponsive, lying in the bathtub. SPONSORS - EZ Melts: EZ Melts are fast-melting, sugar free wonders that dissolve on your tongue, giving you all the essential nutrients in a package that tastes like a treat. Receive a free 3 month supply of Vitamin D3 with your first order at: https://try.ezmelts.com/morbidology 310 Nutrition: They have the hydration game down to a tee. Check out their water enhancers, lemonade, and milkshakes! They are offering 50% off up to $100 with code “MORBIDOLOGY” at: https://310nutrition.com/ SmartLabels: Say goodbye to the headache of misplaced items & hello to streamlined organization with SmartLabels. Just search “SmartLabels” on Amazon, buy their QR labels & then download their app! SHOW NOTES - https://morbidology.com/morbidology-the-podcast-258-alfie-steele PATREON - https://www.patreon.com/morbidology YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/morbidology Audio Credit: Epidemic Sound Evening of Chaos - Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Empty Reflections - ErikMMusic - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgq4SPKHlyI A Mothers Sacrifice - OurMusicBox - https://ourmusicbox.com/ Dark Tranquility - Anno Domini Beats - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6mBav72Ak Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/morbidology--3527306/support.

## Transcript

[0:34] Hello. It sounds like my neighbors and doing something bad to their kids in
[0:38] the back, like they're really hurting them. I've just heard some noise over
[0:41] the last fifteen minutes and I heard lots of banging and it sounded like someone
[0:45] fashion while I was in the back. Deroit Wich is a historic town located
[0:56] in the Witchy Even district of Worcester, England. The town is renowned for
[1:00] its brine baths, which have been attracting visitors for centuries. These baths step
[1:07] back to the Roman times. The Droitwich also has a long history of salt
[1:11] production. Running through the town is a canal network, which played a crucial
[1:15] role in the transportation of salt and other goods during the town's industrial heyday.
[1:22] These eventually fell into disuse, but in recent years they've been restored. The
[1:27] center of Droitwich features a mix of historic and modern architecture, including the fifteenth
[1:34] century Saint Andrew's Church and the Chatteau impne On. The outskirts of the town
[1:40] lies Vashon Drive, a residential neighborhood comprising of semi detached new built homes.
[1:46] However, amidst the tranquility of daily life, the specter of the COVID nineteen
[1:51] pandemic cast a pal over Droitwitch as it did the world over. Streets once
[1:57] bustling with activity, now lay silent and deserted, as residents had here diligently
[2:01] to public health guidelines. As the grip of the pandemic began to loosen in
[2:07] February of twenty and twenty one, Droit Which found itself thrust unexpectedly into the
[2:13] spotlight. A phone call to the police on the eighteenth of February twenty twenty
[2:19] one shattered the town's peace. Emergency which service? Hello, can have an
[2:23] umbulance? Please? I ambulance? Thank you? Ambulance service. Is a
[2:28] patient breathing? No, he's not he fell asleep in the bath. Okay,
[2:34] Can I take the location? It's fashion drive. Nine year old Alfie
[2:53] Steele hadn't had the best start in his life. His mother, Carlos Scott,
[2:58] had given birth to him on the living room floor of her home in
[3:00] Wolverhampton. The relationship between Scott and Alfie's father wasn't a last after there were
[3:07] allegations of abuse, so Scott took on the role of a single mother,
[3:14] left to navigate those challenges. Scott's priorities seemed misplaced, opting to indulge in
[3:20] games of strip poker with neighbors rather than attending to Alfie's needs. Consequently,
[3:25] Alfre found himself ending for himself, neglected in adrift in his own home.
[3:31] Observant neighbors, who were alarmed by him wandering through the streets alone, extended
[3:36] their care and compassion towards him. One of them, Julie Peacock, recalled,
[3:42] Alfie would often come round to play and really was the most polite and
[3:46] lovely little boy. There were a group of us on the estate who just
[3:50] felt sorry about how neglected he always was because he was always wandering round the
[3:53] streets outside his house. We used to take him in and give him his
[3:58] meals. Occasionally, Scott would whisk Alfie away to the local working men's club.
[4:03] Here she guzzled down pounds of beer while Alfie was left to entertain himself.
[4:10] Julie recollected she was always dressed in short skirts and boots with tight tops
[4:15] on. She wasn't slim, but she liked the attention. In fact of
[4:19] anything, she seemed to crave attention. When I went to her house,
[4:24] I used to tell her she needed to tidy the place up and clean because
[4:28] it was so dirty, but nothing ever changed. It was one of those
[4:30] houses where you felt like wiping your feet as you came out rather than as
[4:34] you went in. The home was in such a bad condition that social workers
[4:39] paid Scott a visit and they put Alfie under a child protection plan for neglect.
[4:45] Then, in November twenty eighteen, Carlos Scott made the decision to seek
[4:48] a fresh start of brooding herself and Alfi from Wolverhampton to Droitwich. However,
[4:56] their journey to stability was fraught with challenges. They grappled with homelessness before eventually
[5:01] finding solace in a council home. Amidst the turbulence of Alfi's life, one
[5:06] on wavering bacon of stability remained his grandfather, Paul Scott. Although Paul acknowledged
[5:14] his past as a stern parent to Alfi's mother and her siblings, he had
[5:17] since mellowed, showering Alfi with unwavering love and pride in every milestone that he
[5:24] achieved, from his first steps and words to the good grades in his report
[5:29] cards. Alfi's journey was marked by Paul's steadfast support and admiration. Despite grappling
[5:35] with developmental hurdles and learning difficulties, alf was said to be a smart little
[5:40] boy with an infectious smile and bondless curiosity. Paul fondly said of his grandson,
[5:47] he had a smile that would melt butter. He was intelligent and inquisitive,
[5:51] and was courageous like a lion. He was a good Christian boy who
[5:56] was full of God. Alfie embodied a fearlessness spirit, eagerly embracing new experiences
[6:01] without hesitation. His passion spamed the spectrum, from his love for Worcester Warriors
[6:09] rugby to watching the Arsenal play in London with his grandfather. Alfy even became
[6:15] a member of the Boy's Brigade and had a close group of friends at Witton
[6:18] Middle School in Droitwich. Even though his life up until this point had been
[6:25] difficult, Alfy was taking everything in his stride. In twenty nineteen, Carlo
[6:34] Scott crossed paths with the forty one year old man named Dirk Howell. Howell
[6:40] had been forthcoming about his checkered past, and he disclosed his prior run ins
[6:45] with police to Scott. Naturally, this revelation stirred apprehension within her, so
[6:49] she took action by initiating a request through the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme also known
[6:56] as Claire's Law. This mechanism said nerves to furnish individuals with insights into their
[7:01] partner's history of domestic violence, but the inquiry yielded no incriminating findings, so
[7:09] Scott felt comfortable continuing in her relationship with Howell. Within a mere six months,
[7:14] Howell was living with Scott and her son Alfy in their home. While
[7:18] he may not have had a history of domestic violence, he did have an
[7:23] extensive criminal record. Hailing from Wolverhampton, his upbringing was marred by instability,
[7:29] eventually culminating in his placement into foster care. Fueled by adverse circumstances, Howell
[7:35] treaded a path that was rife with criminality, which saw him in and out
[7:40] of prison. Between the years of nineteen ninety four twenty twenty one, he
[7:45] had racked up thirty two convictions for ninety five offenses and had spent about twenty
[7:49] two years out of his forty one years behind bars. His convictions included battery,
[7:56] criminal damage, theft, burglary, public order, drug offenses, and
[8:01] weapon offenses. Nevertheless, it appeared that Howell had stumbled upon a new fine
[8:07] sense of familiar belonging through his relationship with Carla Scott and her son Alfie.
[8:13] The trouble was just around the corner. Just after two twenty pm on the
[8:24] eighteenth of February twenty twenty one, Carla Scott called nine ninety nine. Okay,
[8:31] so what's he fell asleep in the bus? He's got as matt and
[8:35] when he was a baby, hadding in miamiyet. So he fell asleep in
[8:39] the bath? Yeah? Right, okay? Is he so? Is he
[8:45] submerged in mortar? Or yes? What have you got him out? Yes,
[8:48] we've got him out. Yeah. I think we're doing them sleeping.
[8:54] You don't see sorry, okay, yeah, okay, So it's possible he
[8:58] could have drowned in there. Yeah. The nine nine nine operator walked her
[9:05] through CPR Okay, what can you see chest rising and falling? No,
[9:11] okay, we need to carry on with a pulse. PC Stacy Hagenbeth and
[9:20] policy Paul Pickering were the first to arrive at the scene. The atmosphere was
[9:26] heavy with the tension. A stark contrast of the usual calmness of a home.
[9:31] The two officers walked through the tidy hallway and up the stairs. They
[9:35] were taken aback by the juxtaposition of the downstairs and upstairs of the home.
[9:41] Downstairs, the atmosphere exuded an air of pristine orderliness, reminiscent of a show
[9:48] home. Every detail was meticulously arranged, from the carefully created decor to the
[9:54] gleaming surfaces that were reflected in the soft glow of the overhead lights. They
[10:00] extended the staircase, a stark transformation unfolded before their eyes. Pristine facade of
[10:07] downstairs gave way to an altogether different scene upstairs, Clutter strewn haphazardly across the
[10:13] floor, and an unmistakable air of neglect hung heavy in the air. The
[10:18] officers were then taken into a child's bedroom. It was decorated with a stained
[10:24] mattress and no bedding or bed frame, a dirty and sticky floor, and
[10:28] a broken wardrobe. It was sunny outside, but the dark curtains were drawn
[10:33] closed and the room was pitch black other than for the light which had been
[10:37] switched on. But the officer's attention quickly zeroed in on the figure of a
[10:41] boy lying lifeless on the floor. It was nine year old Alfie's steel.
[10:46] They rushed to aside and knelt down. Their gloved hands reached out to assess
[10:52] his condition, but as their hands made contact with Alfie's face, they found
[10:56] that he was freezing cold. They observed some lumps and bruises to his face,
[11:01] some of which looked older than the others. There were also some scratches
[11:05] to the side of his mouth that looked quite old. The officers exchanged a
[11:11] quick knowing glance at one another. PC Pickering continued doing chess compressions on Alfie
[11:16] as they waited for the paramedics. The scene was too much for p.
[11:20] C. Hagenborth. She needed to go outside and compose herself for a couple
[11:26] of moments before she came back inside. While paramedics desperately tried to bring Alfie
[11:31] back to life, the officer spoke with Carlos Scott, who was the only
[11:35] other person inside the home. She said that Alfi loved to have a bath
[11:41] and made a nuisance of himself that day by asking to have one. She
[11:45] said, she filled up the tub and tested the temperature with her elbow,
[11:48] adjusting it with running hot and cold water until it was just right. She
[11:54] said. She then went downstairs to do some cleaning before realizing that some time
[11:58] had elapsed since she had seen her son. Scott said that she went into
[12:03] the bathroom and found Alfie submerged in the water. She told the officers that
[12:09] she had lifted her son out, before mentioning that Alfie had previously hit his
[12:13] head. She wondered if this had something to do with what had happened.
[12:18] The paramedics continued tpr on Alfi, with one paramedic, Darren Fletcher, recalling,
[12:24] I was very aware that Alfie's face didn't look normal to me. In
[12:28] the color of his face post mortem staining, it looked similar to that in
[12:33] his forehead. With each compression the paramedics were met with nothing. Alfie was
[12:39] completely lifeless. Scott was asked by the officers how long it had been since
[12:46] she found him unresponsive? How long ago did you find him? Sorry,
[12:58] it don't make too much sense here, sorry, when did you first come
[13:03] across him ten minutes ago? Recognizing the severity of Alfi's condition, the decision
[13:15] was made to airlift him to Birmingham's Queen Elizabeth Hospital for urgent medical attention.
[13:20] En route, medical professionals administered electric shocks using a defibrillator in a desperate attempt
[13:26] to revive him, but Alphie never regained consciousness. Despite the best efforts of
[13:37] medical professionals, Alfie was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital.
[13:43] His body was then transported to the medical examiner's office for a thorough examination.
[13:50] There, the pathologist made a troubling discovery. Alfie had at least fifty injuries,
[13:56] each varying an age and severity. When he had been discovered by the
[14:01] paramedics, his body had a core temperature of just twenty three degrees. This
[14:07] indicated to the pathologies that alf had either been immersed in cold water or had
[14:13] been dead for some time before police and paramedics arrived at the hung The autopsy
[14:18] continued, but during the examination, the pathologist encountered an obstacle. He couldn't
[14:24] figure out exactly how Alfhi had died. However, it was evident that he
[14:30] hadn't succumbed to natural causes. His body displayed in an array of bruises and
[14:35] indications of oxygen deprivation. Some of the bruises appeared to be defensive in nature,
[14:43] as if Alfi had been trying to protect himself from somebody hitting him.
[14:48] The pathologist ultimately determined that Alfi's cause of death was unascertained, leaving detectives grappling
[14:56] with a puzzle. Suspicion fell upon those closest to Alfe, his mother,
[15:01] Carla Scott and her boyfriend Dark Howle, and it wouldn't be long before some
[15:07] disturbing information came to light, information that would show that Alfi had been living
[15:13] in a house of horrors. The quietness of the neighborhood where Alfi had lived
[15:22] was often shattered by the sound of raised voices echoing throughout the street. Almost
[15:28] each week, a different neighbor would hear the sounds and curiously take a glance
[15:33] outside of their window. Whenever they did, they saw a scene that filled
[15:37] them with concern and unease. It was always Alfi, either being screamed at
[15:43] by Howell or being forced to stand outside in the dark alone. Carla Scott
[15:48] and Dark Howell had met back in twenty to nineteen, two years after she
[15:54] had separated from Alfi's father. The relationship progressed quickly, and within just months,
[16:00] Howell had moved in with Alphie and Scott. But this relationship wasn't a
[16:06] good thing for young Alphi because Howell was somebody who believed in strict discipline for
[16:11] children. What Howell deemed as discipline, however, transcended the boundaries of acceptability,
[16:18] manifesting as a harrowing blend of physical and psychological torment. Alfie endured a
[16:25] number of abuses that escalated in severity over time. Initially, he was subjected
[16:30] to prolong periods of grounding, forced to maintain a stationary position for ours on
[16:36] end, and coerced into performing household chores. Food, which was once a
[16:41] basic necessity, morphed into a tool of control, with Alphie denied sustenance unless
[16:48] permitted. However, the abuse swiftly escalated into physical violence, with Alphie enduring
[16:55] brutal beatings inflicted by a belt and a slider. Alongside being confined to the
[17:00] backyard. Alfie also endured being submerged in freezing cold water and having icy water
[17:06] thrown over him as he stood outside. Scotton Howell didn't seem too fazed about
[17:11] who saw what was going on at the home. In August of twenty nineteen,
[17:17] Mikhaela Hardwick, who lived behind their home, was at home one evening
[17:21] when she heard a commotion coming from outside. This incident occurred just a month
[17:26] after Howell had moved in. With Scott and Alfie. Peering out of her
[17:30] window, Mikaela spotted Alfie alone and vigorously banging on the garden gate while crying
[17:36] and pleading to be let back inside. She grabbed her mobile phone and documented
[17:41] the scene as it unfolded. The ordeal persisted for a run twenty minutes until
[18:11] Howell finally emerged. He unmatched the garden gate and tossed some clothing at Alfie.
[18:18] Mikila watched on in horror as Howell then forcefully pushed Alfi to the ground
[18:22] before allowing him back into the home. Another neighbor, Rosemary Willets, bore
[18:27] witness to an equally distressing event. While she was hanging out her washing one
[18:33] day, she was startled by the sound of a child screaming. Casting a
[18:40] glance towards her neighbour's home, she observed Scott and Howell escorting Alfi through a
[18:45] side gate and into the garden. They then shut the gate behind him and
[18:49] retreated indoors, leaving Alfi isolated in the garden alone. Concerned, Rosemary retreated
[18:57] into her home and went upstairs to get a clearer view. From her vantage
[19:03] point, she witnessed Alfie on his knees, sobbing to the point where he
[19:06] struggled to catch his breath. Desperate, he then rose to his feet,
[19:11] pointed on the door, and shouted, I'm sorry, please let me in.
[19:15] At some point, Howell emerged at the window and informed Alfy that his
[19:19] real dad would be arriving the following day. This was clearly a threat,
[19:25] as Alfi was scared of his biological father, just like he was scared of
[19:29] Howell. Rosemary recounted that the ordeal lasted for a round an hour. However,
[19:36] just a couple of weeks later, another troubling incident unfolded at the family's
[19:40] home. Rosemary's husband, Graham, witnessed Howell forcing Alfie outside, clad in
[19:45] only his boxers, standing rigidly as if on a parade. Alfy was left
[19:51] under Howell's command while he retreated indoors. Graham observed Howell and Scott peering out
[19:56] of the window, seemingly making sure that Alfie was complying with their demands.
[20:03] Concern for Alfie's welfare, Graham quickly contacted police and reported the incidents. On
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[22:45] the family was placed on a child in Need plan, which escalated to the
[22:48] more serious non voluntary child Protection plan in October twenty nineteen. At the same
[22:56] time, Howell came under investigation for the burglary of an elderly man, during
[23:00] which firearms were stolen. Despite these circumstances, Scott maintained that her boyfriend posed
[23:07] no risk to her son. Nevertheless, Scott was then informed that Howell could
[23:11] not have any unsupervised contact with Alphe or stay over night at their home.
[23:18] Though initially in agreement, Scott defiantly refused to adhere to these directives, and
[23:22] she allowed Howell to continue living with her in alphae against official advice. During
[23:29] a visit by a social worker that was conducted during a time when Howell was
[23:33] present at the home, the situation took a troubling turn overhearing an altercation between
[23:40] Howell and Scott. The social worker listened as Howell posed an ultimatum. He
[23:45] asked her who she would pick over him or her own son. Scott said
[23:51] that she would put her son first, which resulted in Howell telling her the
[23:55] relationship was over, but it wasn't. How Will continued to defy the orders
[24:00] instead at the home, with Scott and Alfi terrorizing Alfi every chance that he
[24:06] got. Despite the involvement to Shall protective Services and even police, the abuse
[24:11] of Alfie persisted unabated, and more people soon became aware of Alfi's plight.
[24:19] Anida Nicholson, who had been a teacher at Alfi's school, recounted a disturbing
[24:25] incident from early twenty twenty. She remembered encountering Alfie standing outside the health center
[24:30] in town, with Howell aggressively confronting him, shouting in his face and gesturing
[24:36] in a threatening manner. Alfie appeared immobilized, like a little Mannikin, frozen
[24:41] in place as the confrontation unfolded. Shortly thereafter, Scott emerged from the building,
[24:48] yet she made no effort to intervene or protect her son. Instead,
[24:53] she simply passed by Alfie and Howell, with the latter trailing closely behind her.
[25:00] Anita wassso shaken by what she had witnessed that she quickly reported the incident
[25:03] to school authorities. Subsequently, the police were summoned and p C. Warren
[25:07] Edmunds found Howell, Alphie and Scott outside of his Specsavers, Howell was evidently
[25:15] drunk. Wait wait, okay, so why wouldn't you tell me your name?
[25:26] What's going to give you? I have to be wrong. He refused
[25:30] to give his identity and eventually provided a false name, claiming to be called
[25:34] Michael Jones. Despite police intervention, nothing ever came of this, and Alfie
[25:41] was forced to face the abuse alone. It was close to five thirty one
[25:53] a m. On the fourth of April twenty twenty when Daniel Grenrods was awoken
[25:59] by a Lloyd's coming from the house next to him. Banging and crashing could
[26:03] be heard reverberating through the thin walls, punctuated by the sound of a child
[26:07] whimpering. Intertwined with these distressing sounds, a man's voice could be heard booming,
[26:14] and he sounded angry. Daniel wasted no time in calling nine ninety nine
[26:18] and detailing what he had just heard to the operator. From hearing from really
[26:22] worried and noises from next door, I heard what sound like that of a
[26:27] child in distress. PC Shannon Murphy responded to the phone call and knocked on
[26:33] Carloss Scott's front door. When she opened up, she seemed surprised to see
[26:37] the police officer. She said that a report had come from one of their
[26:42] neighbors and asked to see Alfie. Scott said that he was asleep and that
[26:48] it was only her and him in the home. PC Murphy may have concluded
[26:52] her investigation. PC Murphy simply left the home, while she may have concluded
[26:57] her investigation without actually investigating. Just the following month, Scott's deceit was exposed.
[27:06] On the night of the fourth of May twenty twenty, another neighbor called
[27:08] police to report Alfie standing out in the back garden. The god, in
[27:14] discipinion standing nak a statue or to report them before this lad, he believe
[27:23] is called alf Grace. PC Robert see Wusaha promptly arrived at the scene and
[27:29] observed a male figure briefly appearing at an upstairs window before vanishing from view.
[27:36] Scott grated the officer at the front door and falsely claimed that it was only
[27:38] her and Alfie inside the home. However, PC see Wusaha confronted her with
[27:45] his observation, prompting Scott to reluctantly fretch howl from where he was hiding upstairs.
[27:52] Upon confronting Howell, the officer instructed him to leave the premises immediately.
[27:57] For leaving, the officer checked in on Alfie, who was found asleep in
[28:00] his bed. Scott was sternly warned, you've been told he isn't to come
[28:07] here speaking about Howell. Despite the police intervention, Howell's persistence in defying orders
[28:15] and staying away only continued, leaving Alfie's safety compromised, and on the third
[28:22] of August, Gemma All caught their next door neighbor was disturbed by alarming noises
[28:26] coming from the family's home. She immediately called nine ninety nine police emergency.
[28:37] Hello, it sounds like my neighbors and doing something bad to their kid in
[28:41] the back, like they'rebody hurting them. Okay, we's the address, Okay,
[28:47] right, So do you know what the names are? The woman's called
[28:51] Carla and the guy's callteen. So the female is Carla and the blokes who
[29:00] I think it's called Dean. Okay, So how long is it going on
[29:04] for today? I've just heard some noise over the last fifteen minutes. I
[29:10] heard lots of banging and it sounded like someone crashing round in the bat went
[29:12] into the twiglet and it sounds like you can hear this guy said that he's
[29:17] being hit and held under the water or something, and like there's a clashing
[29:19] round concerning because I know they've got social services involvement as well, when the
[29:26] stodies has been before a few times. Yeah, okay, do you say
[29:40] social services are involved? They are? Yeah. In response to Jama's concerns,
[29:47] Sergeant Samantha Bannett arrived at the scene. I Ever, Scott once more
[29:52] claimed that Howell wasn't present, and the officer simply left. But shortly thereafter,
[29:59] Scott appear heard at Jemma's front door. She was barefoot, but Jemma
[30:03] refused to open up the door. Howel could be heard on her ring doorbell
[30:08] threatening to burn down their house for calling police. Jemma called the police back,
[30:19] but as had become a common thread in Alfie's sad life, nothing ever
[30:25] came of the phone call. Alfie's neighbors weren't the only ones to notice that
[30:34] something was seriously amiss with him. The teachers at his school had also been
[30:41] concerned about his welfare. Each morning, Alfie's arrival at school was marked by
[30:45] the telltale signs of neglect, dirty smelly clothing that spoke volumes of his home
[30:52] life. But it was a particular incident on the first of October twenty twenty
[30:57] that raised the alarm among the school staff. Alfy approached Louise McNally, the
[31:03] safeguarding and welfare lead at the school, and said that his ear was sore.
[31:08] He told the wais that he had an accident the night before and had
[31:11] wet or soiled himself in bed. Due to the excruciating pain in his ear,
[31:18] Louis escorted Alfy to the first aid bay, where a nurse examined his
[31:21] ear. Upon inspection, she found blood and puss, and she asked Alfy
[31:26] what had happened. Alfie said that he didn't know, but the injury looked
[31:33] serious. It wasn't the kind of injury that could happen accidentally. The school
[31:38] called up Scott and asked her to come and collect him and take him to
[31:41] the doctor's, but after calling his mother, Alfie became upset. He told
[31:48] Louise that he didn't want to go home, that he wanted to stay at
[31:52] school. This sudden revelation picked Louise's suspicions, which had already been raised by
[31:59] Alfrey's own their odd behaviors. Each morning, like clockwork, Alfrey frequented the
[32:05] school's pastoral support unit and asked for some toast. His perpetually rumbling stomach and
[32:10] disheveled appearance painted a concerning picture for Luise and some of their members of the
[32:15] staff. Child protective services were called, and in October of that year,
[32:21] the family were paid a visit by social worker Hailey Waldron. Hailey checked in
[32:27] the cupboards at the home to make sure there was food, something which made
[32:30] Scott angry. She was advised by the social worker to either give alf a
[32:35] bigger breakfast or send him to school with extra snacks. After Haley left,
[32:42] Scott calder up and said that Alfre had never asked for more food at school
[32:45] and instead accused the dinner lady of offering him it. She described alf as
[32:51] the kind of child that he d everything in sight, and Haley told her
[32:54] that if that were the case, he needed to be seen by a doctor.
[33:00] In the eighteenth of December twenty twenty, the school intervened by giving Alfie
[33:04] a fresh uniform. He had arrived at school that morning in a uniform that
[33:08] smelled particularly pungent, and staff worried about his welfare. As the Christmas holidays
[33:15] approached, news of an impending lockdown cast a shadow over the festive season.
[33:21] The restrictions came into force just a day before Alfi was due to return to
[33:24] school. Despite the lockdown, Alfhi, being on a safeguarding plan, was
[33:30] permitted to attend school. However, he failed to make an appearance. When
[33:36] questioned by the social workers, Scott said that Alphi had severe asthma, which
[33:42] is why he wasn't in school. So Alfi found himself isolated from the outside
[33:46] world, his days blending into nights. As the confinement of lockdown engulfed him.
[33:52] His life outside of the family home became a distant memory, visible only
[33:58] three fleeting glimpses granted to the families concerned neighbors. Despite their mounting concerns,
[34:04] the neighbor's apprehensions went unheeded, and Alfie remained hidden from view. His grandfather
[34:10] Paul and his wife Elina, occasionally saw him during FaceTime calls, albeit through
[34:16] dim lighting. On some occasions, they noticed fresh bruises adorning Alfie's face.
[34:23] Scott, however, consistently brushed off these injuries. With excuses, claiming that
[34:29] Alfie had sustained them while playing or falling off his bicycle. As lockdown restrictions
[34:35] began to ease, Paul and Elena proposed the idea of Alfi's spending asleep over
[34:39] at their place, but when that weekend rolled around, Scott said that Alfie
[34:45] was grounded so he couldn't come. After Alfie was discovered on responsive at home,
[34:54] the officers asked Carlo Scott where Dark Howl was. They knew that he
[35:00] had often defied orders instead overnight at her place. According to Scott, Howell
[35:05] hadn't been there for a couple of days, and he certainly wasn't there when
[35:08] she found her son in the bathtub. However, detectives quickly unraveled the truth.
[35:15] Just six minutes after Scott called nine ninety nine, a police officer squatted
[35:20] Howell in a nearby street. This prompted detectives to strongly believe that Howell was
[35:25] present at the home when Alfie was injured, and that Scott was attempting to
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[37:10] In an effort to piece together his movements, detectives procured CCTV footage from the
[37:16] Vicinity. The footage showed him leaving the neighborhood the family lived in and heading
[37:22] towards the Droitwich Railway station. He was captured on camera exhibiting signs of agitation.
[37:30] He sprinted towards stationary trains and attempted to force open a carriage door with
[37:35] his bare hands, but by the time he was there, police were already
[37:38] on his trail. As he desperately tried to clo open one of the train
[37:43] doors, he was arrested. What's your name, money, what's your name?
[38:00] Us? Right? Okay, we need to have a pretty again,
[38:07] right Okay, Well, at the moment up for me, so so at
[38:13] the moment you under us on suspicion of attempted murder. Okay, so you
[38:19] didn't have to sending defense, did not mention and did you do something?
[38:27] Have given evidence. As for Carlos Scott, she was arrested at home.
[38:36] As the news of Alfi's tragic death spread rapidly through the media, his family
[38:39] took a moment to honor him. Paul, his grandfather, expressed his profound
[38:45] sorrow, emphasizing that Alfi would forever remain in their hearts. You also extended
[38:52] gratitude to everyone involved in the investigation, acknowledging their professionalism, and appreciated the
[38:59] respectful approach by the media, allowing his family space to mourn. The community
[39:05] rallied around the family, offering their support in various ways, but they needed
[39:09] to adhere to COVID guidelines. Many chose to honor Alfi's memory by displaying blue
[39:15] Teddy bears and drawings in their windows. Meanwhile, at the police station,
[39:21] Scott and Howell underwent separate interviews. Detectives had uncovered evidence of the abuse inflicted
[39:28] upon Alphie, revealing Scott to be just as cruel as Howell, according to
[39:32] reports. As Alfi's mother, she bore the responsibility of safeguarding him, yet
[39:38] it became evident that she allowed Howell to exercise unchecked authority on her son.
[39:45] Initially, when questioned, she stuck to the same story. She said that
[39:51] Howell hadn't been at the home when she found her son unresponsive. However,
[39:55] in a subsequent interview, her account shifted. She admitted that Howell had been
[40:00] there. As she was becoming more open, detectives anticipated a confession. They
[40:07] wondered whether Alfi had been subject to a beating or whether he had been forcibly
[40:13] submerged in the water, but instead Scott said she simply found him underneath the
[40:17] water, unresponsive. She confessed to detectives that her initial statement regarding Howell's presence
[40:25] was a fabrication borne out of panic. Despite her denial, detectives were already
[40:31] aware that both she and Howell had resorted to physical discipline on Alfi in the
[40:36] past. However, Scott's narrative then underwent another alteration. According to her revised
[40:43] account, five days before Alfi's death, she found him in the living room
[40:47] with tears, with Howell standing before him grasping a belt. Howell claimed that
[40:53] he was merely adjusting the belt, but Alfi's silence in response to her inquiries
[40:59] raised suspense. Howell claimed that he was merely adjusting the belt, but when
[41:04] Scott asked her somewhat had happened, he just stood there in silence. Scott
[41:09] told detectives that she was scared that Howell would use the belt on herself,
[41:14] so she refrained from asking any more questions. After sharing this information, Scott
[41:21] opted to clamb up and she refused to answer any more questions. In the
[41:25] other interrogation room, Howell maintained his steadfast silence throughout his interrogation. The only
[41:32] thing he said was that he was innocent. On the twelfth of January,
[41:42] Carlo Scott and Dark Howell were charged with the murder of Alphi. They were
[41:45] also charged with child cruelty, and this stemmed from the abuse that Alfie had
[41:50] endured before he was finally killed. They both pleaded not guilty to the murder
[41:54] charge and causing her allowing the death of a child. However, Howell admitted
[42:00] causing cruelty to a person under sixteen, while Scott denied the charge. They
[42:05] were ordered to stand trial, and during a pre trial hearing, Howell had
[42:08] an outburst he was appearing via video link, and there had been some difficulties
[42:15] with defate. He shouted, this is ridiculous. I can't hear you.
[42:21] How am I supposed to do a court case when it's like this? From
[42:23] start to finish, the behavior of this Cord has been disgusting. The murder
[42:29] trial began in Coventry Crown Cord on the second of May twenty twenty three.
[42:35] Scott and Howell took their respective places alongside their defense attorneys as opening statements began.
[42:42] Prosecutor Michelle Healey said the jury that both defendants thought it was acceptable to
[42:46] hit Alfi with belts, flip flops, and use other harsher forms of punishment.
[42:52] The prosecutor went on to describe some of the abuse that Alfie had endured
[42:55] before telling the jury Alfi died as a result of the deliberate and unlawful actions
[43:01] of Carlis Scott and Dirk Howell, and together they are guilty of his murder.
[43:07] She said that it was the prosecution's theory that alf had been beaten and
[43:12] then deliberately put in the cold bath where he died. She stated alf had
[43:17] not simply fallen asleep in a comfortable bath. He had been deliberately and repeatedly
[43:22] assaulted, beaten, and put into it and held under a cold bath as
[43:27] punishment. She said that this was a punishment that had been carried out by
[43:30] both Scott and Howell in the past, referencing the phone call from Gemma where
[43:36] she reported hearing a child thrashing in the water. According to the prosecution,
[43:40] Scott had stood by and allowed Howell to do whatever he wanted to her son.
[43:45] She highlighted the fact that even after Alfy was dead, she had tried
[43:50] to protect Howell by saying he hadn't been at the home. The testimony got
[43:53] under way immediately with the first responders describing the scene at Vashon Drive. P
[44:00] C. Paul Pickering said that Carlo Scott was alone at the home other than
[44:04] Alfhi. He described her as being in distress and in a state of panic.
[44:09] The officer said of Alphy, there was no sign of life whatsoever.
[44:15] His body was called to the touch, it was peel. There was no
[44:19] sort of color or pigmentation. The officers described how Scott became more anxious when
[44:25] more officers arrived at the scene. She began to ramble about how Alfi had
[44:30] pneumonia when he was younger and may have had gromets that would make him lose
[44:35] his balance. It was as if she was trying to find excuses to explain
[44:40] why a healthy nine year old boy could have randomly drowned in the bath.
[44:45] The officer said that they didn't observe any tears from Scott that afternoon, but
[44:49] said that she became upset when she was arrested. There were two other people
[44:53] who testified about the morning Scott had called nine ninety nine. These anonymous went
[45:00] testified that they had been in the home that morning with Scott and Howell.
[45:06] According to one of them, they had heard Scott saying, come on,
[45:08] alf warm up. The witnesses said that Howell was there at the home but
[45:15] left just after Scott called nine ninety nine. The prosecution then called on doctor
[45:21] Rob Forsyth, a consultant pediatrician neurologist. He testified that Scott had epilepsy,
[45:29] but said that there was no evidence to show that Alfie had it. Scott's
[45:32] epilepsy was due to a form of a mild brain injury, and when epilepsy
[45:37] is caused by an injury, it's not hereditary. But instead sporadic drawings related
[45:43] to seizures and epilepsies are very rare. The doctor said, however, he
[45:47] did accept during cross examination by the defense, that it was plausible that Alfie
[45:52] suffered his first ever seizure in the bath that day that he died. The
[45:58] next witness was Professor safa Al Saraj, a professor in neuropathology. He said
[46:04] that he had examined Alfi's brain after his death and found that the color of
[46:07] his brain tissue was paler than it should have been. This indicated a reduction
[46:13] of blood coming to the brain, but the professor said he was unable to
[46:16] say how this had been caused. There was further testimony from pathologist doctor Roger
[46:22] Malcolmson. He said that Alfi had bruises to his head, face, and
[46:27] body, and they indicated blunt for's trauma as opposed to accidental injuries. Doctor
[46:32] suz Etlin said that the injuries had come from an adult who had lost control.
[46:37] She detailed some marks on Alfi's bodox and said that they most likely came
[46:42] from being kicked by an adult. Jury also heard testimony from all of the
[46:46] witnesses who had seen or heard Alfi being abused. Their neighbor Graham, who
[46:52] had called police, testified about the last time he saw Alfie alive. It
[46:58] was just the day before he died. He was sitting on the driveway and
[47:02] he waved at Graham when he saw him. He sat alone, mister,
[47:07] and then asked if he could pet his dog. Graham told Alfie that he
[47:12] could and watched with a heavy heart as the child's small hand tenderly caressed the
[47:16] furry companion before him. Alfie seemed content, as though the simple exchange had
[47:22] transported him miles away from the bleak confines of his own home. Less than
[47:28] twenty four hours later, he would be dead. On the second week of
[47:37] the trial, Carlo Scott took to the witness stand. She told the jury
[47:42] that Howell had told her to lie to police after she found her son unresponsive
[47:45] in the bath. According to Scott, she went along with it because she
[47:50] didn't want to get herself or him in trouble with the police. She told
[47:53] the jury that after finding Alfi in the bathtub, Awel performed CPR on him
[47:59] while he told her her to call police. While she was on the phone,
[48:02] Howell left the home. Scott denied hurting her son interfering with his breathing,
[48:08] as well as encouraging or assisting Howell to do either. She mentioned the
[48:13] earlier incident of finding Howell holding a belt with Alfie crying and said to the
[48:17] jury, I didn't want to believe he could do something like that, even
[48:22] though I knew he did. During cross examination by prosecutor he Lee, Scott
[48:28] was told that she put her boyfriend before her son. The prosecutor said,
[48:35] your son is literally lying a few feet from you, possibly dead, and
[48:38] your first thought is to lie about Dirk. She said that if Howell hadn't
[48:43] done anything to Alfie, then why did she need to lie. The prosecutor
[48:47] suggested that Scott had been in the bathroom with Alfhe when Howell beat him,
[48:52] kicked him, and then held him underwater. After Scott stepped down, Howell
[48:58] took her place in the witness bot. He said that he was chilling,
[49:01] listening to reggae music and playing Clash of Clans when Scott came bursting into the
[49:07] room and said that Alfie wasn't breathing. He said that he attempted CPR,
[49:10] but it wasn't working, so he decided to leave the scene. In his
[49:15] words, he didn't want to be around that situation. He commented, I've
[49:22] seen a lot of things in my past, but I couldn't nah. During
[49:27] the trial, it came to light that Howell had initially confessed in his defense
[49:30] statement to the court regarding the act of dunking Alfie into cold baths as a
[49:36] punishment. However, when he was pressed on the witness stand, he denied
[49:39] that he did and said that he had lied during his statement. Howell attributed
[49:45] this inconsistency to a profound lack of trust, asserting his distrust not only towards
[49:51] police, but also towards his own legal counsel. Regarding allegations of neighbors witnessing
[49:57] the abuse inflicted upon Alphe, I will accuse them of lying. He said
[50:02] that they all thought of themselves as posh and looked down their noses at him
[50:07] because he was working class. In a moment of frustration directed the prosecution,
[50:12] Howell erupted, there's no evidence. You don't even know how he died.
[50:19] But if Howell had done nothing wrong, then why did he flee from the
[50:22] home. Why did he run to the police station and desperately try to board
[50:27] a train. As police caught up with him, Howell responded, you have
[50:31] to be in my situation, It's all right making assumptions. Both Scott and
[50:37] Howell struck to the same story. They had told detectives that Alfy had somehow
[50:42] randomly drowned in the bath. After Howell stepped on, closing arguments were presented.
[50:49] Prosecutor Healey said to the jury that the evidence presented was distressing, but
[50:53] it painted a picture of long term abuse. She reminded the jury that when
[50:59] Alfi was found his his body temperature was twenty three degrees when it should have
[51:02] been thirty seven degrees. They suggested that Alfi had been submerged in cold water
[51:07] before he finally died. She pointed out that Devalvi had died of an accident
[51:14] such as an epileptic fit. Then what purpose did Howell have for fleeing the
[51:17] scene and Scot langed to detectives. She stated both defendants wanted to seriously harm
[51:24] Alfi that day, they lost their temper killed him. They then began to
[51:30] cover up Hollis. Defense attorney Alister Williams began his closing argument by stating,
[51:36] there is something rotten at the heart of the prosecution's case. You cannot ignore
[51:40] it. You must not ignore it because justice is difficult. It involves people
[51:45] like him that are not very nice. But it doesn't mean he's guilty.
[51:51] He said that it was possible that Alfi had an epileptic fit, which ultimately
[51:54] led to his death. The jury were then sent away to deliberate, and
[52:00] they returned with a verdict ten hours later. The courtroom fell to her hushed
[52:05] silence as the jury foreman stood up to some breaking news this hour and a
[52:08] mother has been convicted of manslaughter and her partner found guilty of murder of her
[52:15] nine year old son. Alfie Steele died after being repeatedly beaten and held in
[52:21] a cold bath as parts of what was described as a sinister regime of punishment
[52:25] inflicted on him. He had fifty injuries at the time of his death.
[52:30] Outside of court, Alf's grandfather, Paul commented, it fills us with immense
[52:36] sadness that we will never be able to see that cheeky smile again. Losing
[52:39] Alfie has left a massive void in our lives to think that we will never
[52:44] be able to hug him and watch him grow into an accomplished young man causes
[52:49] much anguish. His comments were followed by the senior investigating officer who led the
[52:54] case, Detective Chief Inspector Leighton Harding, he had heard evidence of a culture
[53:00] of abuse, cruelty and torture by Scott and Howell. Torture amounted to repeated
[53:07] beatings with a belt, CAUs an extensive bruising. He was often woken in
[53:13] the early hours of the morning and forced to stand outside, where Scott and
[53:16] Hall threw jugs of cold water over him. He was grounded for excessive periods,
[53:22] made to stand for hours inside and outside his home. He had food
[53:28] removed or withheld from him, banished to his room, and most distressingly,
[53:32] he was forced into a bath of cold water and his head forcibly held under.
[53:37] On the fifteenth of June, Scott and Howell returned to court to be
[53:40] sentenced. They stood before Justice Mark Wall, who described them both as sadistic
[53:46] and suggested that they got some cruel pleasure out of what they had done to
[53:50] Alphi. He steered it. What is clear is that Alfie did not have
[53:54] the quiet death you tried to portray, a death in which he had an
[53:59] epileptic fit and gently fell asleep in the bath. His death was violent and
[54:04] brutal. He continued by saying that the day Alfi died was yet another day
[54:09] where he was being tortured and held under the cold water. He said,
[54:15] Alfi tried to say no, called in vain for his grandfather to help him,
[54:20] and resisted getting into the bath. Maybe it was that sign of resistance
[54:24] which sealed his fate. I'm sure that he was struck repeatedly to the body
[54:30] in head. He was dunged under the water. Alfi died either through drowning,
[54:36] concussive head trauma, or mechanical asphyxia. The doctors could not determine which
[54:40] it was. For the purposes of this sentence, it does not matter which.
[54:46] Whatever the mechanics of his death, the true cause of his death was
[54:50] your cruel and unlawful conduct towards him. According to witnesses, they had heard
[54:55] Alfi crying out to his grandfather shortly before her Urgency services arrived at the home.
[55:02] His grandfather, Paul, said that he would forever be haunted by the
[55:07] thought of Alfi calling out to him on his last moments on earth. The
[55:13] judge then sentenced Dirk Howell to life in prison with a minimum term of thirty
[55:17] two years, and Carlos Scott to twenty seven years in prison, but ordered
[55:22] that she would serve seventeen years before being considered for parole. As Scott and
[55:30] Howell were carded off to begin serving their sentences, a multi agency review was
[55:35] launched to investigate Alfi's death. The MPCC said that they wanted to try and
[55:40] figure out if there were missed opportunities to try and save him. Then,
[55:45] in June of twenty twenty three, West Mercilla Police referred themselves to a watchdog
[55:50] over their contact with Alfi's family. In January of this year, the review
[55:54] was complete and it found that the police had failed to spot signs that Alfie
[55:59] was indeed injure. The police had received numerous reports, while Social services were
[56:05] also aware of the risks that were posed to Alfhi. The review said that
[56:08] there was a lack of communication between them so a complete picture of what was
[56:13] really going on was in formed. In total, there had been more than
[56:16] sixty phone calls from people who were concerned about Alfi's welfare. According to the
[56:22] review, Social services had viewed Scott as a victim rather than a perpetrator.
[56:28] It also noted that when police visited the home after the reports, they were
[56:32] simply told that Alfie was fine, and none of them ever checked to see
[56:37] whether he truly was. The review read in part, there were always casual
[56:42] explanations given by Carlos Scott, but given the context, there should have been
[56:45] more thought given to ensuring that injuries were checked through medical examination. After the
[56:52] review was made public, the police offered an apology. It read, in
[56:58] part, it is with the greatest sadness that we will never be able to
[57:01] undo the dreadful abuse that Alfie suffered. Our thoughts remain with those who knew
[57:07] and loved Alphy Well Bessie's. That is it for this episode of Morbidology.
[57:23] As always, thank you so much for listening, and I'd like to say
[57:25] a massive thank you to my new supporter up on Patreon, Piley. You
[57:30] can join Morbidology on Patreon for as little as one dollar a month, and
[57:35] in exchange, I upload ad forree in early release episodes, bonus episodes,
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[57:49] even T shirts. Patreon really helps independent shows continue, and as one woman
[57:53] podcast, I genuinely do appreciate all of the support. Please remember that morbid
[58:00] is not up on YouTube when the episodes are presented in a documentary style along
[58:05] with videos and photographs associated with the case. So if you guys get head
[58:09] on over to YouTube, search for more biology, and hit that subscribe button,
[58:15] I would really really appreciate it. Remember the check issoid at morbidology dot
[58:20] com for more information about this episode and to read some True Grit articles.
[58:23] Until next time, take care of yourselves, stay safe, and have an
[58:28] amazing week.

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