Harvey Borrington’s mother shares heartbreaking family video
This heartbreaking video shows a three-year-old autistic boy happily drinking a ‘Babyccino’ in a car with his birth mother before being brutally murdered by his stepmother.
Harvey Borrington died after being hit on the head “several times” by Leila Borrington – after suffering two other attacks on her hands, which left him with a broken arm and scars on his face.
After Borrington was sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter yesterday, his birth mother, Katie Holroyd, released a family video showing some of the happy times she spent with her son before his tragic death.
The images – shared with Nottinghamshire live – shows a healthy and happy Harvey giggling in the back of the car as he sips his milk drink.
Before Berrington’s sentencing yesterday, Miss Holroyd read out a personal statement honoring her son as ‘the most loving little boy anyone could wish for’.
Harvey Borrington died after being hit on the head ‘several times’ by Leila Borrington – after suffering two other attacks on her hands, leaving him with a broken arm and marks on his face
After Borrington was sentenced to 15 years in prison for manslaughter yesterday, his birth mother, Katie Holroyd (pictured), released a family video showing some of the happy times she spent with her son before his tragic death
“Harvey’s life was cruelly ended when he was just three years old,” she told Nottingham Crown Court.
“To this day I can’t bear to see him dying on the floor while she films him and delays medical attention.”
Miss Holroyd described Harvey’s death as a recurring nightmare from which she will never be able to awaken, adding: ‘We will always cherish the short time we spent with him.
“She (Leila Borrington) knew what she had done to him and she could have said that from the start.”
Instead, said Miss Holroyd, Borrington had ‘chosen to lie, no doubt to try to save himself’.
The court heard how Borrington lied about what happened to Harvey, who had severe non-verbal autism, when paramedics arrived at her home near Kirkby-in-Ashfield in August 2021.
Borrington also delayed calling emergency services after inflicting “unsurvivable” injuries on Harvey, including a fractured skull, instead texting the boy’s father saying, “Why is this happening to me?”
The footage shows a healthy and happy Harvey giggling in the back of the car as he sips his milk drink
After the attack, Borrington delayed calling emergency services after inflicting “unsurvivable” injuries
In handing down the verdict, Mr Justice Nicklin told Borrington, “You were 21 when the first offense was committed and 22 when you attacked and killed Harvey.”
The “history” of using force against Harvey was an aggravating factor in the offense of manslaughter, the judge said, adding that the cause of the youngster’s death “must have been a sustained violent assault.”
The judge also said Borrington’s text messages and her immediate response after Harvey was fatally assaulted showed a “shocking lack of care and concern.”
He told Borrington: ‘During the trial we saw video footage of Harvey playing with his toys and putting things in the dishwasher.
Within less than 30 minutes, further video footage showed Harvey unconscious on the living room floor.
“Exactly what happened to Harvey, only you know.”
Borrington was found guilty last month of manslaughter and separate charges of assault and causing grievous bodily harm to Harvey, related to incidents in April and July 2021.
Borrington, 23, who was acquitted of murder, claimed Harvey ‘fell backwards’ from a leather one-seater sofa at home, causing the fatal brain hemorrhage.
Harvey, who spent most weekends at Borrington, died in hospital on August 9, two days after paramedics found him ‘deeply unconscious’, ‘unresponsive’ and with an ‘abnormal body position’.
Footage was shown during Borrington’s trial, filmed by her moments after Harvey’s collapse while lying on his side.
In the video – recorded on Borrington’s phone and sent to Harvey’s father – she was recorded grabbing the boy’s left arm, lifting it and dropping it to the floor, before continuing filming as he lay motionless on a rug lay in the living room.
Harvey suffered a skull fracture and fatal cerebral haemorrhage while being cared for by his stepmother Leila Borrington at their family home in Nottinghamshire. Photo: a family photo
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said the defendant’s behavior was very unusual in the circumstances, appeared to be no attempt to shake him up and suggested he lacked compassion.
“Lifting and dropping his arm in that manner seems to show indifference to the obvious seriousness of his condition,” Mr. Hankin told jurors.
Mr Hankin also claimed that Borrington was targeting Harvey, who communicated through hand gestures and a handful of words because he was unable to pronounce when he was in pain.