A woman who tried to help Katherine Cox with her newborn baby shortly before he met a violent death said her friend and her partner must 'live with what they've done.'

Katherine Cox, 33, and her partner Danny Shepherd, 25, were found guilty of causing the death of her baby boy from a ‘catastrophic’ brain injury.

Five-month-old Eli Cox was also found to have 28 fractures to bones in his body and had also been exposed to drugs at his home in Lapwing Close in Minster, Sheppey.

A jury unanimously convicted the couple – now of Faversham – of all charges following a month-long trial.

During the trial at Maidstone Crown Court, prosecutor Jennifer Knight said Eli suffered extensive brain damage consistent with shaking and caused by a prolonged period of insufficient oxygen to the brain.

He had also been injured many times before he collapsed on Wednesday, April 13 last year. He died two weeks later.

The couple were well known to Emma Letford. The 38-year-old is a cousin of Danny Shepherd's and a friend of Katherine Cox.

She said: "Before the trial, I would never have thought either of them could be capable of doing something like this.

“But having heard all the evidence, I’m happy they’ve been found guilty."

Ms Letford said she first met Cox three years ago, before she was in a relationship with Shepherd, known as Pickle, and she had felt sorry for her because she was finding it hard to cope with her children.

Cox met Shepherd in the summer of 2015 after she attended a family barbecue with Ms Letford.

“I tried to help her and be there for her. I did all her washing and ironing, helped tidy the house, clear it out and look after the children to give her a hand,” Ms Letford said.

“They have got to live with what they done. This is justice for Eli."

When describing baby Eli, Ms Letford said: “He was adorable, amazing, beautiful, cute, and his little chuckle just made me melt.

“I miss his face and his smile. RIP little man.”