This is the moment two helicopters arrived at the home of nine-year-old Alfie Steele after he was murdered by his mother's lover - just days after being seen by neighbours laughing on his bike.

Carla Scott, 35, and Dirk Howell, 41, killed Alfie after months of harrowing abuse during the third national Covid lockdown at the home they shared in Droitwich, Worcestershire.

A neighbour today said she saw Alfie just days before his killing 'laughing on his bike'. She said she did not know how he 'found the strength' to smile and play while suffering such horrors at home, branding him 'a very strong character'.

The 'gorgeous' youngster was found unresponsive in cold bathwater at the new-build housing association property he shared with his mother and her boyfriend on February 18, 2021.

Footage sent to MailOnline by neighbour Pixie Wilde shows the moment emergency services frantically arrived to the scene in a desperate bid to save the young boy's life.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12193821/Neighbours-watched-little-Alfie-Steele-laughing-bike-days-murdered.html

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On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 2:11:00 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

This is the moment two helicopters arrived at the home of nine-year-old Alfie Steele after he was murdered by his mother's lover - just days after being seen by neighbours laughing on his bike.

Carla Scott, 35, and Dirk Howell, 41, killed Alfie after months of harrowing abuse during the third national Covid lockdown at the home they shared in Droitwich, Worcestershire.

A neighbour today said she saw Alfie just days before his killing 'laughing on his bike'. She said she did not know how he 'found the strength' to smile and play while suffering such horrors at home, branding him 'a very strong character'.

The 'gorgeous' youngster was found unresponsive in cold bathwater at the new-build housing association property he shared with his mother and her boyfriend on February 18, 2021.

Footage sent to MailOnline by neighbour Pixie Wilde shows the moment emergency services frantically arrived to the scene in a desperate bid to save the young boy's life.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12193821/Neighbours-watched-little-Alfie-Steele-laughing-bike-days-murdered.html

TODAY: Scott was jailed for 27 years, serving at least 17.
Howell was jailed for life for murder with a minimum term of 32 years.

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A 'sadistic' mum and boyfriend have been jailed for nearly 50 years for killing her nine-year-old son in the bath. Alfie Steele died on February 18, 2021, at his home in Vashon Drive, Droitwich, after being repeatedly beaten with belts and sliders as
well as subjected to extreme punishments for 18 months.

The boy was dunked under cold water in the bath and woken up in the middle of the night to be marched outside and have water thrown at him. Following a six-week trial Dirk Howell, aged 41, from Princip Street, Birmingham was found guilty of murder.

Alfie's mother Carla Scott, aged 35, from Droitwich, was found guilty of manslaughter. Both were also convicted of multiple counts of child cruelty. Today, at Coventry Crown Court Howell was branded a 'bully' as he was sentenced to life with a minimum
term of 32 years.

Scott received a total of 27 years but will serve at least 17 years in jail before release. As she was led out of the dock a member of the public gallery shouted 'evil swine' at her.

Justice Mark Wall stated between July 2019 - when Scott and Howell met - to February 2021 Alfie was subjected to 'repeated acts of violence and cruelty'. He described the act of dunking him underwater as 'dangerous and frightening', particularly given
the fact the boy had asthma.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/carla-scott-boyfriend-dirk-howell-27128305

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On 15/06/2023 04:54 pm, swldx...@gmail.com:

On Thursday, June 15, 2023 at 2:11:00 PM UTC+1, swldx...@gmail.com wrote:

This is the moment two helicopters arrived at the home of nine-year-old Alfie Steele after he was murdered by his mother's lover - just days after being seen by neighbours laughing on his bike.
Carla Scott, 35, and Dirk Howell, 41, killed Alfie after months of harrowing abuse during the third national Covid lockdown at the home they shared in Droitwich, Worcestershire.
A neighbour today said she saw Alfie just days before his killing 'laughing on his bike'. She said she did not know how he 'found the strength' to smile and play while suffering such horrors at home, branding him 'a very strong character'.
The 'gorgeous' youngster was found unresponsive in cold bathwater at the new-build housing association property he shared with his mother and her boyfriend on February 18, 2021.
Footage sent to MailOnline by neighbour Pixie Wilde shows the moment emergency services frantically arrived to the scene in a desperate bid to save the young boy's life.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-12193821/Neighbours-watched-little-Alfie-Steele-laughing-bike-days-murdered.html

TODAY: Scott was jailed for 27 years, serving at least 17.
Howell was jailed for life for murder with a minimum term of 32 years.

English law no longer has an adequate punishment for crimes of this sort.

What on earth is "life" supposed to mean if it could mean as little as
32 years (and a lot less than that as frequently quoted for other
reported cases)?

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