Man Severely Beats Girlfriend's Toddler Son, Plays On Phone While Child Lay Dying

A man in England was sentenced to life imprisonment Thursday after he was found guilty of murder following the death of his girlfriend’s toddler son.

On July 12, 2019, 25-year-old Jonathan Simpson inflected a catastrophic brain injury to the 22-month-old child. As the boy lay unconscious, covered in bruises, Simpson kept playing on his phone instead of calling an ambulance, media outlet Cheshire Live reported.

A neighbor intervened and rushed the child to the hospital, where he died during treatment. Scans revealed a subdural hemorrhage and retinal hemorrhages in the child's eyes. During interrogation, Simpson said the toddler, identified as Jacob Marshall, fell down the stairs and suffered injuries, the media outlet reported.

The court heard the accused was a "monster" who showed no remorse.

"To be honest I don't really know where to start, words cannot express the pain we have all felt losing our baby Jacob. When I first set eyes on baby Jacob, in the hospital on that Friday, I knew in my heart it was not good. He was laying there lifeless and hooked up to so many tubes, my heart was breaking," the toddler’s grandmother, Christine Parkinson, told the court, Liverpool Echo reported.

"Jonathan Simpson, who in my eyes is a monster, was just sat there in a chair playing on his phone. There was no sorry, no feelings, no remorse, no facial expressions, there was nothing, it was like he wasn't bothered about what had happened. All I felt was anger, I couldn't believe that any human being could be so callous to not show any emotion given the seriousness of Jacob’s condition," she added, Liverpool Echo reported.

The accused was convicted of murder Thursday and sentenced to life imprisonment. He will be able to apply for parole only after spending 19 years behind bars.

After the judgment, a National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children spokesperson told reporters, "Little Jacob had the right to a safe and happy life, like all children, and should have been safe in his home under the care of an adult. Tragically, through Simpson's actions, Jacob's life was cut short, leaving his family and community devastated."