Parents sentenced for Finley Boden's murder

A Derbyshire couple have been handed life sentences for the murder of their 10-month-old baby. Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden were convicted of the murder of Finley Boden in April 2023 at Derby Crown Court. Read about the trial and the guilty verdicts here.

They were today, 26 May, sentenced to life imprisonment. Stephen Boden was given a minimum term of 29 years and Shannon Marsden received a minimum term of 27 years. Neither will be eligible for parole until they have served their minimum term in custody.

Hitesh Keshvala from the CPS said: “Today’s sentence marks the conclusion of lengthy and, at times, harrowing criminal proceedings against the two people responsible for Finley Boden’s death – his parents Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden.

"The sentence handed down takes into account all the evidence we have shown the court: the sheer number of injuries inflicted on Finley, the violence used and the neglect shown by the defendants as they thought to cover up their actions rather than seek help for their baby.

“However, first and foremost, our thoughts are with Finley’s loved ones who have had to come to terms with his tragic death and the circumstances in which he died at the hands of those who should have been there to care for him and nurture him.

"On behalf of the Crown Prosecution Service, I would like to again offer them our heartfelt sympathies. We would ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.”