“I’m forever haunted by a heartbreaking video of a toddler dying”

Kemarni Watson Darby was seen holding his mother’s hand as they walked to her home in the Black Country, moments before he was beaten to death by her boyfriend

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CCTV: Kemarni Watson Darby is taken to Mcdonald’s

Heartbreaking footage shows a toddler just before being beaten to death by his mother’s boyfriend.

Police discovered video of three-year-old Kemarni Watson Darby holding hands with his mother, Alicia Watson, as they walked home.

Hours later, Watson’s friend Nathaniel Pope beat Kemarni so badly he could not walk, he reported Birmingham Live.

DI James Mahon, who led the investigation, described the clip as one of the most haunting he’s seen.

“I think what sticks in my memory the most and really haunts me is watching Kemarni take the final few steps up the stairs to the apartment.

“He’s with Watson, who should have been there to look after him and protect him.

“And he went to his house, which was supposed to be his safe place, his place of refuge, and ultimately if you look at this footage, he goes to his death. I think this footage will stay with me forever.”

Pope has been sentenced to life in prison after the horrific murder in the Black Country, West Midlands.

Watson was sentenced to 11 years in prison for her part in her son’s death.

Police believe Pope began beating Kemarni two months before his death in West Bromwich in June 2018.

The murder trial heard evidence that the “exuberant” toddler had behavior problems in kindergarten and could barely string sentences together.

DI Mahon said: “This was obviously a result of that abuse. He had begun to lose his ability to have emotions at either end of the scale of experiencing happiness or sadness.

It’s awful to imagine the life he lived there.”

Pope used torn electrical wires to force the door and lock Kemarni in a room in the family’s two-bedroom home at Stanton House.

The West Midlands Police officer added: “How someone could fatally blow a three-year-old child on the pretext that they were being naughty is absolutely shocking.

“The cable was used to lock him in the bedroom when he was being described as naughty. This is just abuse, a child should not be locked away.

“Watson used physical force to punish the children. We don’t know whether he got the green light because he’s a violent person.

“He never showed remorse or took responsibility.”

Watson knew of Pope’s abuse of her son and even remained in a relationship with him after her son was killed.

But in court, she blamed her ex-boyfriend for her son’s murder and branded Pope a “cold-hearted liar” after he denied ever hurting the child.

DI Mahon said: “There are other elements that shock you, it’s the fact that Watson, his mother, stood by Pope and knew what he had done afterwards.

“I can’t understand why anyone would ever do that and right now she’s trying to do that either to clear herself of the ongoing abuse or to protect him.

“Not only did she know what was happening, she was involved in what was happening.

“The court heard evidence that she physically assaulted Kemarni, so I think her behavior and abuse of Kemarni likely enabled Pope to later commit the most serious violence.”

The detective insisted the force had not missed any opportunities as no concerns about Kemarni’s welfare had been raised with West Midlands Police or Sandwell Council.

Historic injuries “wouldn’t have caused him any pain” as Watson took him to a medical center hours before he died. added the detective.

Bruises and scratches noticed by nursery staff and loved ones were also “explained away” by Watson as “common bumps.”

Watson and Pope were arrested on suspicion of child abuse the day Kemarni died.

They were released under investigation and interrogated again about two months later before being arrested on suspicion of murder in June 2018.

A trial at Birmingham Crown Court stretched over six months and saw evidence presented to the jury for over 10 weeks. They announced their sentences on April 12, with the criminals being sentenced today.

DI Mahon said it took more than three years to bring the case to court because delays were “out of the control” of police and prosecutors.

He said: “The process of aging fractures can take up to 12 months so this had to be done before we got the final pathology report and then we had to have pediatric experts to understand exactly how the injuries were caused.