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A man accused of murdering his two-year-old grandson did not slap or hit him, he has told a court.<\/p>\n
Ethan Ives-Griffiths died of a “catastrophic” brain injury on 16 August 2021 after collapsing at his grandparents’ home.<\/p>\n
Ethan’s grandfather Michael Ives, 47, and grandmother Kerry Ives, 46, both deny murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.<\/p>\n
Ethan’s mother Shannon Ives, 28, from Mold, Flintshire, denies causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
Mr Ives gave evidence in the witness box at the start of his defence case at Mold Crown Court on Monday.<\/p>\n
He told the court his own upbringing, in Wolverhampton, West Midlands, was a “bad one”.<\/p>\n
He said he met his wife when he was 18 and she gave birth to Shannon, their eldest child, about a year later.<\/p>\n
He told the jury that Shannon was “quick tempered”.<\/p>\n
He said if Ethan was misbehaving “she would start shouting and screaming” at him.<\/p>\n
He said she would become physical and give him a “slap to the back of the head”.<\/p>\n
Ethan would sometimes “just stand there looking at her and laugh at her” which made her “more angry”.<\/p>\n
Mr Ives said he would “pull her up over it and say ‘you shouldn’t be doing that'”.<\/p>\n
He said Shannon told him: “It’s her child so we should mind our own business”.<\/p>\n
He said Ethan would bite his bottom lip drawing blood and Shannon would respond by giving him “a backhander to the mouth”.<\/p>\n
He said he saw this happen “a couple of times”.<\/p>\n
Asked by his defence barrister David Elias if he or Kerry Ives had ever physically told a child off or slapped or hit them he said “no.”<\/p>\n
Mr Ives was shown an image from the family’s home security CCTV of him carrying Ethan by holding only his upper arm.<\/p>\n
When questioned why he did that, he said: “The grass had been cut and there were nettles. But I know that’s no excuse.”<\/p>\n
He was also asked how he should have carried Ethan and he said “I should’ve picked him up and put him on my side with his legs round my waist.”<\/p>\n
The trial continues.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n