FORMER Delabole man, Matthew Scully-Hicks has been sentenced to life imprisonment, with a minimum of 18 years, for the murder of his adopted daughter, Elsie.

Cardiff Crown Court heard Scully-Hicks, 31, struggled to cope with being the primary carer for Elsie as his husband, Craig Scully-Hicks, 36, worked full-time.

Scully-Hicks, denied murder, but jurors unanimously convicted him on their fourth day of deliberations.

Prosecutors alleged that Scully-Hicks, also inflicted a catalogue of injuries upon Elsie in the eight months he had care of her.

These injuries, including bruises, a broken leg and a fall down the stairs, took place before Elsie was formally adopted by the couple.

During this period, the Vale of Glamorgan Council shared parental responsibility for Elsie with the couple — with social workers regularly visiting their home.

A Child Practice Review has been commissioned "into the tragic circumstances" of Elsie’s death, a spokesman for the Cardiff and Vale of Glamorgan Regional Safeguarding Children Board said.

Elsie was formally adopted by the couple on May 12 last year and suffered fatal injuries at their home in Llandaff, Cardiff, on May 25.

Hours before the attack, Matthew Scully-Hicks had taken her shopping for an outfit to wear at a party celebrating her adoption.

In a 999 call at 6.18pm, he claimed: "I was just changing my daughter for bed and she went all floppy and limp."

Paramedics arrived at 6.26pm and Elsie was taken to the University Hospital of Wales, where she died four days later.

Tests showed she had suffered three separate areas of bleeding on her brain, bleeding in both eyes, a skull fracture and three rib fractures.

Consultant paediatrician Dr Stephen Rose said Elsie’s injuries could be explained by her being "shaken violently".

Dr Rose said her fractured skull would have been caused by a blow to her head, with Elsie thrown against a hard floor or her head knocked against a wall. Elsie’s rib fractures were likely caused by Scully-Hicks gripping her, the court heard.

Scully-Hicks insisted he never harmed Elsie but the jury rejected his account after hearing from 12 medical experts and six doctors who treated her.

Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Davies said: “Elsie was aged just 18 months when you killed her, a young, vulnerable and defenceless child.

“She had been entrusted to the care of yourself and your husband, Craig Scully-Hicks, her adoptive fathers.

“Shortly before 6.19pm on May 25 2016 you inflicted injuries of such severity upon Elsie as to cause her immediate collapse and her death on May 29. The injuries were sustained when you gripped Elsie around the chest, your fingers were on her back exerting pressure which fractured her ribs.

“The fracture to the skull was caused by an impact with a hard surface. Her collapse would have swiftly followed, that having occurred you called the emergency services.”

The judge said Scully-Hicks’s case was aggravated by Elsie’s vulnerability due to her age and an abuse of a position of trust.

"I find that aggravating your offending is the fact that your actions on May 25 were not isolated.

"I am satisfied you inflicted injuries upon Elsie in November 2015 which caused the fractures to her leg and in December 15 the large bruise to her forehead," the judge said.

"You had, and were aware that you had, a predisposition to injure your adoptive daughter. You took no steps to prevent a recurrence of the earlier incidents when Elsie suffered injuries as a result of your actions.

"It has been submitted on your behalf that a statutory mitigating factor is the lack of premeditation. In finding that you acted in anger I accept that represents a lack of premeditation.

"However, the absence of premeditation is tempered by the fact that your anger towards Elsie did not represent an isolated occasion and you knew that your anger could lead to deliberately inflicted injury.

"No remorse has been shown. You were living in comfortable social circumstances with the close support of professional agencies, your husband and wider family. You have been assessed by two independent psychiatrists who found no psychiatric condition which would have affected your actions."

Scully-Hicks was told he would spend a minimum of 18 years in prison.

By PA