A London man could spend the rest of his life behind bars after being found guilty of beating his girlfriend’s son to death over a lost shoe last November.
Authorities said Marvyn Iheanacho beat Alex Malcom, 5, so severely that he died. Witnesses said that they heard a child, with a scared voice, saying "sorry," along with what was described as loud banging and a man yelling about a missing shoe, the Independent reported.
Police found one of Alex's shoes later in a play area nearby, the BBC reported.
Police said that Iheanacho hailed a cab and took Alex, who was unconscious, from the park to his mother’s apartment, instead of a hospital that they said was a five-minute walk away.
Police said that Alex's mother Lilya Breha tried to call an ambulance, but Iheanacho attacked her. She then noticed her son was cold, turning blue and had stopped breathing, the Independent reported.
Doctors tried to resuscitate Alex, but they said he had severe brain swelling.
Police said he had fatal head and stomach injuries and he was covered with bruises on his neck and body, The Telegraph reported. Alex died two days after the beating, the Independent reported.
Iheanacho was sentenced to life in jail with a minimum of 18 years.
The judge who presided over the sentencing said that Iheanacho has a "deeply entrenched character flaw" that made him lose his temper, The Telegraph reported.
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