A court in England convicted a man of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old daughter, and the mother apparently didn’t stop him. The jury found 24-year-old Scott Jeff guilty of killing Isabella Jonas-Wheildon in June of 2023. He reportedly began dating her mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, 24, just weeks before the little girl’s death. Tragically, it appears he began to abuse the child almost immediately, and that abuse ultimately led to her death.
According to a release from the Suffolk Constabulary in the UK, the couple knew Isabella had died but continued to push her in a stroller for three days as if nothing had happened. Now, the couple will pay for what happened to the innocent child.
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Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell began traveling with Isabella in June 2023.
Per the Suffolk Constabulary release, Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell dated briefly in 2019 and reconnected in May 2023. At the beginning of June, the pair left Bedfordshire and traveled to Great Yarmouth with Isabella in tow. The pair spent the next 11 days at different locations in the area. By June 12, they reportedly had no more money for accommodations, so they bought a tent and began coming to the beach.
Police became aware of the couple in mid-June.
Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell caught the attention of police, who conducted a welfare check on June 16. They urged the couple to find more suitable lodging. The couple located a temporary accommodation in Ipswich on June 19.
“It is believed that Isabella had already sustained broken wrists and some bruising prior to their arrival in Ipswich and she was frequently seen wearing a winter coat (during what was a very hot June) and large sunglasses to hide injuries,” according to the Suffolk Constabulary release.
Isabella sustained fatal abuse in Ipswich.
Jeff reportedly assaulted Isabella on June 26, and the couple claimed they attempted CPR but could not revive Isabella. Gleason-Mithcell told the court she realized her daughter was dead at 11:37 p.m. Just 30 minutes later, at 12:07 a.m., surveillance video caught the couple visiting shops, appearing unfazed by what just happened.
The couple reportedly pushed Isabella’s dead body in a stroller for three days.
Following her death, the mother and her boyfriend pushed Isabella around in her stroller, going to shops and restaurants as if everything was OK. The behavior continued for three days until a friend contacted the police.
“As the week progressed, Gleason-Mitchell was in contact with a friend and told her something bad had happened, before eventually disclosing that Isabella had died and her body was in a buggy in the bathroom of their flat,” the release reads.
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Police arrested the couple on July 1.
After finding the toddler’s body dead in her stroller inside the apartment in Ipswich, police went on the hunt for Jeff and Gleason-Mitchell. They found them in Bury St Edmunds after midnight on July 1 after they spent several hours in a pub. The parents denied killing Isabella.
According to the court, only one person could be convicted of murder, and the jury unanimously found Jeff culpable. Gealson-Mitchell pleaded guilty for causing or allowing the death of her child.
Investigators believe justice was served.
Craig Powell, the senior investigating officer, made a statement regarding the verdict, per the police release. “I want to pay my respects and heartfelt thanks to the family of Isabella who have – since the very beginning of this investigation – put their unwavering faith and trust in the Constabulary and my team. The family have remained so dignified and brave, even when faced with detailed evidence at the lengthy trial. This trial and the pain and suffering which it caused was only necessary due to Scott unsuccessfully attempting to deny his guilt.”
He added, “Isabella has I know touched the hearts of so many. I recognize how difficult this case has been for the many witnesses and jury members, along with the entire investigation and prosecution team, including Sally Howes KC and Junior Counsel Alex Kettle-Williams. I alongside the family wish to thank them all for delivering justice for Isabella.”
