Dwelaniyah Robinson murder: Mum gets life in prison

Christina Robinson, 30, had exposed her son Dwelaniyah to cruelty and excruciating pain over several weeks before she shook him to death at the family home in County Durham in November 2022.

Passing sentence, Mr Justice Garnham said she was guilty of a gross abuse of trust as the victim’s mother.

A trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard she had deliberately immersed him in scalding water, causing severe burns that left him in agony. She did not seek medical help as safeguarding concerns would have been obvious if a health worker saw him.

Robinson, a member of the Black Hebrew Israelite religion, admitted hitting the little boy with a bamboo cane but claimed she was following a Bible scripture which advised the use of the rod for the “correction” of children.

After Dwelaniyah’s violent death at the hands of his mother, investigators found a broken cane in her house which had traces of his skin and blood on it.

The defendant, originally from Tamworth, Staffordshire, and a mother-of-two at the time, was convicted of murder and four child cruelty charges which happened at the family home in Bracken Court, Ushaw Moor, following a trial in March.

The jury found that Robinson caused a fatal brain injury to her son on November 5, 2022, while she was the only adult in the house.

It was more than 20 minutes before she dialled 999, first speaking to her husband on the phone despite him being 240 miles away serving with the RAF, and then using Google to look at how to resuscitate a child.

When the emergency services arrived, Robinson appeared calm as she explained her false version of events to a police officer while medics worked desperately on Dwelaniyah.

Despite their efforts at the scene, he could not be saved and probably died at the house, although further attempts to resuscitate him were made in hospital.

A post-mortem examination revealed he had been the victim of a series of assaults and had sustained a number of non-accidental injuries.

Outlining the facts, the judge said that on October 19, 2022, Robinson had discovered Dwelaniyah, who was undergoing toilet training, had soiled himself.

He said: "As you and every parent knows, accidents sometimes happen. Your account of what happened was that you stood him in the bath and ran hot water from the shower head over his body to clean him and simply failed to notice that the water was very hot.

"The jury rightly in my view rejected that account as a medical expert told us the pattern of burns on his body was entirely inconsistent with your version of events."

He added: "You plunged your naked son into the scolding hot water and held him down in the water for long enough to cause the dreadful injuries we saw in the photographs.

"You must have known that that water was extremely hot. Any decent parent would always check the temperature of the water before putting their child into it I would never press him down into hot water as I find you did."

The judge said Robinson was following religious teachings at the time which led her "mistakenly" to think it was appropriate to punish Dwelaniyah for trivial matters by hitting him with a bamboo cane, causing further injuries.

He said: “Those injuries were deliberately inflicted at a time when Dwelaniyah was already seriously injured from the burns I’ve described.

“What must have gone through the mind of that little boy, being beaten by a cane by his mother despite those terrible burns, does not bear thinking about.”

The judge said he accepted the prosecution's case that when Robinson shook him she did not intend to kill him and rejected claims that she was motivated by sadism, saying there was no evidence she took pleasure from inflicting pain.

He added: "There no doubt that you’re mistreatment of your son over the 17 days leading up to his death was appalling to the highest degree. 

"The callousness of your behaviour was well illustrated by the texts between you and your boyfriend on the 28th of October some nine days after Dwelaniyah had suffered the dreadful burns to the bottom half of his body.

"You discovered that Dwelaniyah had access to some of your tablets during the night and had vomited on the floor.. You texted your boyfriend saying that that behaviour by Dwelaniyah deserved 'major ass kicking'.

"Your boyfriend replied 'come on Chris he’s a child, just tell him not to do it again.

"Your reply included the following quote: 'He’s old enough to know better so he’ll pay'.

"When he told you to be gentle your chilling reply was: 'he’ll get what he deserves no more no less'.

Recommended reading:

• Durham mum Christina Robinson murdered son Dwelaniyah

• Dwelaniyah Robinson murder trial jury yet to reach verdict

• 'Missed opportunities' before County Durham child murders

Get more from The Northern Echo and stay informed with subscription. Our special offer for May is £3 for 3 months or 30 per cent off an annual subscription at £55. Click here to find out more.

Robinson, who represented herself and continues to deny she killed her son, said: “I pray for the day when justice will be served.”

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Turner, Senior Investigating Officer for Operation Aruana at Durham Constabulary, said: “Dwelaniyah was a defenceless little boy who had his life ahead of him, but this was cruelly taken away his own mother – someone he should have been able to trust, someone who should have cared about him.

“We may never know why or what caused Christina Robinson to do what she did.

“Her actions are unforgivable and sadly nothing will bring Dwelaniyah back but at least she is now facing the consequences of what she has done.

“This has been a truly heartbreaking and emotional case for everyone involved, including my investigation team, who have worked tirelessly to bring Robinson to justice.

“My thoughts remain with those who loved and cared about Dwelaniyah.

NSPCC Campaigns Manager Helen Westerman said: “This has been a deeply troubling case, and our heartfelt thoughts and condolences go out to Dwelaniyah’s family and those close to him. It is devastating that a child should endure such violence and suffering at the hands of his mother.

"Every child should be able to grow up in a safe and happy environment and we all have a responsibility to make our voices heard if we suspect anything that could put a child in harm’s way. If you’re worried about a child’s safety or wellbeing visit the NSPCC’s website for assistance. Remember, if you think a child or young person’s safety is at an imminent risk, call 999 immediately.”