Evil dad jailed for murdering his 8-week-old daughter at Bedfordshire home

Kevin Eves, 37, was found guilty of the "cruel, brutal and vicious" murder of eight-week-old Harper Denton, after inflicting fractures to her skull, ribs and feet before smothering her.

The baby was found unresponsive in June last year at the family home in Wixams, where she lived with Eves and her 34-year-old mum.

He was sentenced today at the Old Bailey to a minimum term of 20 years behind bars for Harper's murder.

Evil Eves denied intentionally harming Harper, claiming she must have suffered broken bones in his attempts to resuscitate her.

But pathology reports revealed how the bruises and fractures were inflicted over months of abuse.

The twisted dad was found responsible for all baby Harper’s injuries.

Upon sentencing, the judge Her Ladyship Mrs Justice O’Farrell described the violent assaults Harper was subjected to as “cruel, brutal and vicious.”

She said: “Unfortunately, you did not have the instinct to protect and nurture that most parents have; you were insensitive to the fragility of a young baby; you were unable or unwilling to put her needs before your own comfort; you had uncontrolled rage.

“You could be in no doubt that you had caused great distress and suffering.”

The judge took into account Eves’ previous conviction for causing grievous bodily harm to a two-year-old child in 2006, when he was living in Bournemouth.

After being found guilty, he had been sentenced to nine years in prison before being released in 2010.

Harper’s mother, Cherinea Denton, was originally charged in July 2018 with murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm, but was formally acquitted of these charges on 3 October.

Miss Denton has continuously worked alongside the police by providing evidence within the trial.

In a statement, she said: “My beautiful girl had her future stolen from her by somebody that she should have been able to trust and count on for the whole duration of her life. A life that should have lasted longer than eight weeks.

“To have the desire to hurt any child is unimaginable. But to periodically hurt, injure and then murder your own daughter, continuously lie about it and shed disingenuous tears displays a level of malice, manipulation and disregard for the most precious gift that some people do not have the fortune to experience.

Detective inspector Dani Bailey said: “Today’s sentence is reflective of the deliberate and eventual grave actions of Kevin Eves upon his eight-week old daughter, whom he should have cared and protected from harm.

“Although the jail sentence can never bring Harper back, I hope it will be of some condolence to her family and those who loved her."