Colchester pair jailed after child locked in room and starved

A young boy who was “days from passing away” was locked in a room and “systematically starved” before social services discovered him and called the police.

The primary school-aged boy was taken to hospital “critically underweight” and malnourished.

A man and woman from Colchester were convicted of causing grievous bodily harm (GBH) with intent and jailed for 12 and 11 years respectively at Ipswich Crown Court on Friday. The pair – who are not named to protect the identity of the boy – are white British nationals.

Essex Police said the boy was effectively “skin and bones” when he was found, and the “landmark” conviction under GBH with intent carries greater sentencing powers than child neglect.

The investigation began after social services located the child in the Colchester area in May 2020, during the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown.

“He was unsteady on his feet, frequently shook and had suffered significant muscle wastage,” Essex Police said.

“Doctors suggested that any delay in medical attention could have been fatal.”

Detectives found pictures and videos of the child, showing he had been severely neglected and starved between January and May 2020.