Sickening smiles of a child killer: 'Monster' mother filmed celebrating £10,000 lottery win as she awaited trial for murdering two-year-old son
- Rebecca Shuttleworth, 25, went on camera with girlfriend in Manchester
- Video filmed just months after she battered son Keanu Williams to death
- Was on bail awaiting trial in Birmingham for his murder at the time
- Screams with delight as lottery prize money is revealed
- Nods in agreement as girlfriend says they will use it 'to go on holiday'
- Expected to be given life jail sentence at Birmingham Crown Court today
By STEVE ROBSON
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Hands clasped to her mouth, callous child killer Rebecca Shuttleworth whoops with delight as she realises her girlfriend has just won £10,000 on the lottery.
This sickening footage was taken only months after Shuttleworth, 25, had beaten her two-year-old son Keanu Williams to death in a flat in Birmingham.
Shuttleworth, who subjected Keanu to horrific abuse from the day he was born in 2008 until his death in 2011, was on bail awaiting trial when this video was made.
No shame: Rebecca Shuttleworth, centre, opens her mouth in delight as her partner, left, receives a lottery win
Joy: The 25-year-old was awaiting trial for murdering her two-year-old son at the time
Evil: The killer nodded in agreement when her partner said they would use the winnings 'to go on holiday'
It is understood she was living with her partner in Rusholme, Manchester, and was still protesting her innocence after the death of Keanu.
The toddler, who was known to police and social services, had 37 injuries including bite marks, a fractured skull and a fist-sized tear in his stomach.
She introduces herself to presenter Judie McCourt before screaming with joy when the prize money is revealed.
Shuttleworth even nods along and agrees when Kurstie tells the presenter they will use the money to decorate their flat and go on holiday.
Oblivious that she is talking to an alleged murderer, Ms McCourt grasps Shuttleworth and says 'enjoy it, the pair of you.'
Keanu was hit repeatedly with a stick or rod over 48 hours and died of internal bleeding, a post-mortem examination found.
Carefree: Keanu Williams, pictured plays with a bucket of water, died on 9 January, 2011 after being admitted to hospital with multiple injuries
Shocking: A a body map details the harrowing injuries sustained by Keanu Williams
Paramedics discovered his body at the home of Shuttleworth’s then boyfriend, Luke Southerton, 32.
A review has begun into why social workers failed to spot the abuse.
Keanu’s injuries were not ‘isolated’ but part of a long chain of abuse by his mother, who now faces life behind bars.
Yet Shuttleworth had duped officials into thinking she was ‘caring and competent’.
It adds to questions about children’s services at Labour-run Birmingham City Council, rated ‘inadequate’ since 2009 after deaths of children known to social workers.
Cases include that of seven-year-old Khyra Ishaq, starved to death in 2008.
Last month the department was labelled ‘utter chaos’ by members of its own watchdog.
Yesterday Jane Held, head of the Birmingham Safeguarding Children Board, which is reviewing Keanu’s death, said social services, medics and police ‘missed a significant number of opportunities to intervene’.
Birmingham Crown Court heard that Shuttleworth had ‘resented’ Keanu virtually from his birth in 2008.
Denial: Rebecca Shuttleworth and Luke Southerton, pictured together in the dock of Birmingham Crown Court, both denied murder
Crime scene: Police and forensic officers the area around the flat in Birmingham where Keanu Williams was found dead
Hellish: Pictured is the bed where Keanu Williams, who was discovered by paramedics with 37 separated injuries on his body, would sleep
Shuttleworth, who was living with Keanu’s father in Torquay, Devon, saw the child as an ‘obstruction to living her life as she wanted’, the jury was told.
Prosecutor Christopher Hotten QC said she spent much of her childhood in care as her alcoholic mother struggled to cope, giving her ‘considerable experience of the care system’.
Following Keanu’s birth she received ‘extensive’ support from health and social workers, posing as an ‘attentive’ mother at parenting classes.
She moved back to her home city of Birmingham when Keanu was 15 months old, starting a relationship with Southerton.
Mr Hotten said Shuttleworth used her knowledge of the care system to ‘manipulate social workers, teachers, doctors and care professionals to believe that she was a competent and caring mother’.
She told staff at the child’s nursery his bruises came from bumps or falls.
In December 2010, she took Keanu to hospital with burned feet, which she claimed came from a radiator beside his bed.
She was told police would inspect her home, and texted Southerton to make sure their stories matched up.
A month later, paramedics found the boy dead at the flat in the deprived Ward End suburb.
The couple had dialled 999, claiming Keanu had had a heart attack.
Mr Hotten told the jury Shuttleworth hoped he would ‘get better’ and only called 999 when she realised it was hopeless.
Detective Chief Inspector Caroline Marsh, who led the investigation for West Midlands Police, said: ‘In the past, I have described her as a monster and perhaps I would stand by that.’
The force would not comment on its prior involvement in the case because of the review.
Southerton was cleared of murder, manslaughter and causing or allowing the death, but convicted of cruelty yesterday after a six-month trial.
Shuttleworth, who was convicted of four counts of child cruelty as well as murder, will be sentenced alongside him today.
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