The three-year old Kemarni Watston darby, a drug dealer sentenced to life in prison for his ‘brutal murder’ smiled at police as they arrived at the scene.
After a lengthy five-month investigation that heard Kemarni suffered 34 different external injuries, Nathaniel Pope (32), was found guilty in April. Today, he was sent to Birmingham Crown Court for life with an initial sentence of at least 24 years.
Alicia Watson (31) was Kemarni’s girlfriend.
Now it is known that Pope smiled at officers after Kemarni was killed and didn’t claim to have been Watson’s friend.
West Midlands Police later released footage of Kermani being confronted by an officer. The clip shows Kermani, a shirtless Pope who seems to have relaxed despite having been beaten to death.
According to the Judge, Pope died from the effects of marijuana when he was killing the child. Kermarni was kept in a room locked with an electrical wire in a cramped property in West Bromwich, Birmingham.
He suffered ‘a catalogue of horrendous injuries’ – likened to those of a car crash victim – in the weeks before he was killed while living in the flat which had rooms strewn with rubbish and clothing.
Photos of Kemarni’s living room show him eating toast with his hair. On the ground, you can see tops of plastic bottles, prescription containers, and baby bottles.
Another photo shows an electrical wire used as a lock for a bedroom, along with the kitchen being covered in plates, plastic containers, and McDonalds packaging. This was Kemarni’s last meal.
Jurors learned that Watson and Pope shared a home with Kemarni in West Bromwich, where he was allegedly ‘crushed to death’ by his ribs in June 2018.
Mrs Justice Tipples passed the sentences Three-year-old suffered more than 25 broken ribs at four points.
Pope and Watson were informed by Watson and the judge: “This is an extremely distressing and tragic situation.” Kemarni was killed on June 5, 2018. Nathaniel Pope, the man who brutally assaulted Kemarni at his home in the sitting area, then left him there to die.
‘I know you did this while Alicia Watson wasn’t around. After Watson returned home, Kemarni was dead. Watson dialed 999 to find Kemarni.
Kemarni’s injuries were due to extremely severe force, according to the judge. This is comparable with injuries sustained when someone falls from a height or in an accident on the road.
Watson was aware Pope was injuring Kemarni using punches, kicks, and that she had not done anything to stop it. The judge also stated that Watson’regularly beat Kemarni hard’ with her hand.
Kemarni Watson Daby, pictured in the above, was killed in an abdominal attack in which he was attacked in his flat in West Bromwich (West Midlands), where he lived in two bedrooms with Pope, and his mother Alicia Watson.
Nathaniel Pope doesn’t show any signs of regret and appears relaxed as he is being interrogated by the police upon their arrival at the scene
Nathaniel Pope (32) and Alicia Watson (30) were convicted of causing Kemarni Watson’s death. He had been subject to weeks of horrendous’ abuse, before he succumbed.
Kemarni Darby, who was killed in West Bromich by Post in 2018, was one of two bedrooms in her flat. Watson and Post were also guilty of child cruelty. They lived in the same room, surrounded by rubbish and clothes.
West Midlands Police has taken this photo showing an electric wire used to make a temporary lock for a bedroom in the apartment where Kemarni Watson Daby, aged three, was shot and killed.
Pictured is Kemarni eating toast in the living room. Next to his hair was a thick clump.
“A catalogue of horrible injuries” was what he suffered in the weeks preceding his death. These were similar to car accident victims.
Pictured: A picture of Kemarni enjoying toast and a clump on his right cheek was presented to the court
According to the prosecution, Kemarni most likely had his stamp on and been physically abused on multiple occasions over the course of weeks before his death.
Watson was feigning injury to her son by lying to many people, telling his parents and his other relatives that he had been in an altercation with his siblings.
Kemarni’s death was confirmed by his mother, who took Kemarni to a hospital and told doctors that her son had a stomach bug.
She did not disclose the fact that her son had been attacked. Heartbreaking CCTV footage shows his mother and son dining at McDonald’s hours before his death.
Another image shows the filthy and cramped conditions in Watson’s flat, which has two bedrooms.
Expert pathologists confirmed that Kemarni was most likely to have died after returning from his doctor’s visit.
The family believed that he couldn’t have stood and moved, much less made it to the doctor’s with the injuries from which he died.
Kemarni sustained a number of injuries that left him with severe scarring, such as multiple fractures in his ribs and liver damage.
Also, bruising was found on his head, lips, throat, neck, shoulders, stomach, and back.
Watson is heard telling the operators that her son wasn’t responding to a distressing 911 call.
A call-handler asked her “Is the patient still breathing?” The call-handler asks her if the patient is breathing. She replies, “Yeah. But he’s still not responding to me.”
“He is three years old, he doesn’t respond, he hasn’t responded.”
“I took him to see the doctor today and I went straight to my children to collect them but he hasn’t responded to me.”
Before she can stop sobbing, she tells the operator that his breathing is normal.
Pope killed three-year-old daughter after he was convinced he was high on cannabis.
Pope was told by the judge that the final assault consisted of multiple punches to his chest, abdomen, and limbs from fists or kicks.
You should have known that this was a serious and persistent assault, which would have resulted in extreme pain and distress.
Kemarni’s abuse became a common way of conducting business in the flat. Kemarni wasn’t your son, and he didn’t mean any harm to you. He was seen as an annoying person who interfered in your love life.
Four rib fractures were among the most fatal injuries sustained by the toddler, which pathologists believe occurred up to four weeks prior to his death at his family’s home.
Pope was sentenced to four months imprisonment in 2011 after a vicious attack on a London mother. He claimed that he hadn’t seen the attack.
A former warehouse worker in Wolverhampton was convicted for previous burglary convictions and possessing heroin with intent of supply.
Watson, from Handsworth (Birmingham), swore to Pope’s QC as he gave evidence, and denied any wrongdoing.
During Kemarni’s trial, it was revealed that she had purchased cannabis and used the proceeds to pay for driving lessons. Kemarni also lost his nursery because of lack funds.
It was stated that Kemarni had already suffered from serious injuries hours prior to his death. Watson then took Kemarni to a nearby walk-in hospital where Watson gave him medicine for an alleged stomach bug.
Giovanni D’Alessandro from the Crown Prosecution Service stated: “This is a deeply troubling case where two people were supposed be protecting a defenseless 3-year-old boy, but instead they subjected him cruelties and repeatedly used violence.
“It is incomprehensible that Kemarni, the little boy who was dying of cancer, had to endure such brutal acts of violence in his last days. This caused him immense pain and continued distress until he died.
“Poets and Watson lied multiple times and wanted to take full responsibility for their actions.
“My thoughts are with Kemarni and his family. This conviction cannot bring him back. It will not bring comfort to anyone who loved and knew him.
Pictured during trial: The jurors were shown photographs of Kemarni suffering from a right-eye injury
West Midlands Police issued CCTV footage of Kemarni Watson, three years old, walking alongside his mother Alicia Watson
Pictured: Pope was sentenced to four months imprisonment in 2011. He attacked a young mother and dragged her from a London bus with her hair. After his pram accidentally landed on the pram of his partner, Pope beat her face down in front all her children.
“I do hope that their loss will be helped by the fact that their killer was brought to justice and that he is serving a sentence of time in prison.
Yesterday Kemarni’s father, who revealed that he had been ‘deceived by the lying couple’, paid tribute to his son.
Darren Darby, a barrister from the same court, said that Kemarni was a lively, energetic, and boisterous young boy. He laughed and smiled all the time.
His life was tragically cut short. He was capable of being so much.
“I won’t get to participate in the most important moments of his lifetime.
“Kemarni was loved so much by many, including friends and relatives. Everybody has been affected by his passing.
Darby, who is currently at university, made his statement after the trial had ended.
“When I was first told that Kemarni had passed away, it was a shock I could not put into words.
“As the time passed, I would learn about Kemarni’s injuries. It wasn’t all at once. Instead, each piece revealed the truth.
Alicia, Nathaniel were both lying so that you don’t know what truth is. They deceive me and all I feel towards them is anger.
It’s not about getting through every day, but rather about managing now. This situation doesn’t seem real to you.
It’s my life sentence. Kemarni has no plans to return.
After a four month trial, the jury heard that Watson and Pope were “partners in crime” and lived together for many months following Kemarni’s death.
The jury found that the boy died of abdominal injuries after his ribs were ‘crushed at’ the West Bromwich couple’s 2-bedroom apartment. This was inflicted in part by Pope.
Four rib fractures were also fatal to Kemarni’s bodies, which pathologists believe had been done up to four weeks prior to his death at West Bromwich.
Pope, who was imprisoned in 2011 for an attack on a London-based mother, was sentenced for four months. He claimed that he hadn’t seen the attack on Kemarni.
Although the jury heard that Pope had been convicted of common assault, and was sentenced to prison for bus attacks, the jurors weren’t given any further information.
A former warehouse worker, he has been convicted for burglary as well as possession of heroin with the intent to supply. In March 2021, he was arrested and charged with murder.
Watson was said to be a “zero-to-100” temper. She became upset while giving evidence and blamed Pope.
Expert witnesses claimed that Watson had taken the child to a clinic to treat him for severe injuries. She told her daughter she thought her son was going to die.
The visit revealed that Kemarni was vomiting since five days, and had not been his normal self.
Tony Badenoch QC, the prosecutor opened the case. He stated: “Post-mortem examinations showed that Kemarni had suffered terrible injuries that day as well on previous occasions.”
“The injuries could be seen both internally and externally during a post-mortem exam.”
“Among those injuries was multiple fractures of his skeleton. Some of these would have required force similar to road traffic accidents or stamping.
“Both recent as well as non-recent injuries were discovered. Multiple fractures were found on both his left and right ribcage. These could have been dated historicalally to the time period between his death and the weeks and days that followed.
“At most four events caused the fractures.” The events included partial, transverse, and corner fractures.
CCTV footage showed Watson taking Kemarni to McDonalds and other shops hours before his sudden death.
Picture: Watson took the boy to a local walk-in clinic hours after he had been beaten to death. Expert witnesses claimed that he was already suffering from severe injuries.
After Mr Darby’s statements were read by Tony Badenoch, QC today, both defence barristers provided mitigation.
Pope was represented by Jonas Hankin (QC), who said the ex-warehouseworker’s “truly horrible” actions with many aggravating characteristics should not have been compared to the “purposeful, systemic and persistent abuse” seen in several other recent child murder cases.
He stated that the fatal violence was grievous and violent, but not clearly dangerous for life.
Charles Sherrard (Watson’s QC) said that Watson has already lost all, no matter how the court acts.
The jury found her guilty of the loss.
“She will be released (from prison) to a loving family, which is split between those who remain supportive and those who will continue to remain very critical.
Her mental health has suffered a significant impact. Her mental health is in danger and she may not be able to get out.