In a tragic case that has shocked the community, Michael Daymond, 27, has been found guilty of shaking two-year-old Maya Chappell to death while he was supposed to be caring for her. The jury at Teesside Crown Court reached a unanimous verdict, agreeing that Maya had died from fatal head injuries inflicted by Daymond.
Maya’s mother, Dana Carr, was also found guilty of allowing the death of her defenceless daughter. Despite seeing bruises on Maya, Carr failed to raise the alarm, leading to her own conviction.
The incident occurred on September 28 when Maya fell seriously ill at their home in Shotton Colliery. While paramedics and police attempted to save Maya’s life, Daymond was preoccupied with a phone call in another room, expressing concern about his Universal Credit payments being stopped.
Despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Maya was taken to the Royal Victoria Infirmary in Newcastle but tragically never regained consciousness and later passed away. Medical experts determined that Maya’s cause of death was head injuries, which could only have been caused by shaking.
During the trial, it was revealed that Daymond and Carr had only been dating for a few weeks when he moved into Maya’s home. Daymond began looking after Maya while Carr was at work. Bruises began to appear on Maya’s face and body, prompting the couple to withdraw her from the nursery to avoid raising suspicion.
Family members expressed concerns about the bruises but were convinced by Daymond and Carr that they were self-inflicted. Daymond, who did not testify during the trial, inflicted the injuries on Maya over several weeks when he was alone with her. He would frequently lie to Carr, covering up his abusive behaviour.
Despite being aware of the situation, Carr took no action to protect her daughter and continued to express her love for Daymond. She repeatedly lied to family members and failed to mention the bruises when taking Maya to the doctor for an ear infection, as they would have been concealed by clothing.
Maya sustained fatal head injuries during a four-hour period when Daymond was the only person with her. Detective Superintendent Chris Barker of Durham Constabulary, who led the investigation, described Maya as defenceless and stated that she lived in constant fear of Daymond’s actions.
While Daymond’s motives remain unclear, Barker expressed gratitude to the jury for seeing through his abhorrent behaviour and convicting him. He acknowledged that the verdict could not bring Maya back, but hoped it would provide some closure to those who cared for her.
Daymond and Carr are scheduled to be sentenced at Teesside Crown Court on Friday, December 22. Anyone with concerns about the welfare of a child is urged to contact Durham Constabulary, their local children’s social care team, or the NSPCC.
