A man who murdered his partner's 22-month-old toddler after staying up late playing video games has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 25 years.
Christopher Stockton, 38, killed Charlie Roberts at their Darlington family home in January 2024 by violently shaking him.
The child's mother, Paula Roberts, 41, has been sentenced to four years in prison after admitting to neglecting her son by failing to seek medical treatment for bruising caused by Stockton over several weeks.
Stockton was also convicted of child cruelty alongside the murder charge at Teesside Crown Court.
Stockton was in sole charge of Charlie when he inflicted the fatal head injury, which caused widespread bleeding on the brain
PA
Stockton was in sole charge of Charlie when he inflicted the fatal head injury, which caused widespread bleeding on the brain.
Roberts had left the home minutes before to attend an eye test, while Stockton, who was off work ill, had been up until the early hours playing Xbox.
After the incident, Stockton called 999, repeatedly saying "come on mate" and "wakey wakey" to the unresponsive child.
He claimed to paramedics, doctors and police that Charlie had choked on a biscuit, saying he had patted the child's back and put his fingers down his throat.
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The toddler died the following day in hospital.
Prior to the murder, Roberts had harboured suspicions about Stockton, leading her to install a spy camera above her son's cot.
Despite sharing concerns about Stockton with her brother, Roberts maintained her relationship with him.
Stockton had only moved in with Roberts and Charlie seven days before the fatal incident.
The judge noted that Roberts now claims Stockton was controlling and coercive, adding that she would have been aware of available help for people in her situation.
"You now recognise that you contributed to his neglect, in effect turning a blind eye to what you must have known was the reality of the situation," the judge told Roberts.
Justice Goss, sentencing, said Charlie was particularly vulnerable, having been born two months prematurely and having difficulty communicating.
The judge noted that injuries inflicted by Stockton to the child's genitals would have been "excruciatingly painful", yet neither adult sought medical attention.
The fatal blow caused brain injuries comparable to those seen in a car crash, crushing incident or fall of several storeys.
"You have robbed his family of the joy of bringing up a child and of sharing life events with him," the judge told Stockton.
"No court can undo the harm you have caused."
After the sentencing, Detective Superintendent Chris Barker emphasised Charlie's innocence, saying: "Charlie Roberts was a little boy who just wanted to play. A little boy who just wanted to be loved. A little boy who did not deserve to die."
Charlie's father Barry Greenwell spoke of the family's profound loss following Stockton's conviction
PA
He described Stockton's actions as "unforgivable" and acknowledged that while nothing would bring Charlie back, justice had been served.
The detective made an urgent appeal to the public: "I urge anyone who has concerns about those caring for children to speak out and ask for help."
"This is a truly heart-breaking case, and my thoughts remain with those who truly cared about Charlie," he added.
Charlie's father Barry Greenwell spoke of the family's profound loss following Stockton's conviction.
"Charlie was a much-loved son and grandson who has been taken away needlessly, and has left the whole family with a void that will never be filled," he said.
Greenwell added that the family was still processing recent events and trying to come to terms with the "deeply disturbing" information revealed during the case.
The court heard that Charlie's father and two grandfathers had written impact statements about their sense of loss, though they chose not to have these read out in public.
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