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| Eve Leatherland: 'My daughter has been in a freezer for 17 months' | Eve Leatherland: 'My daughter has been in a freezer for 17 months' |
| (about 5 hours later) | |
| Eve Leatherland died aged 22 months, murdered by her mother's boyfriend, who had beaten her and poisoned her with codeine. | Eve Leatherland died aged 22 months, murdered by her mother's boyfriend, who had beaten her and poisoned her with codeine. |
| Nearly 18 months on from the killing, her body remains in cold storage as her father tries to win the right to be allowed to arrange her burial. | Nearly 18 months on from the killing, her body remains in cold storage as her father tries to win the right to be allowed to arrange her burial. |
| Dean Bird wants to be able to have a funeral for his "amazing" little girl - but he does not have the necessary parental responsibility because his name is not on the birth certificate. | Dean Bird wants to be able to have a funeral for his "amazing" little girl - but he does not have the necessary parental responsibility because his name is not on the birth certificate. |
| "The hardest part is knowing she is still in a freezer after all this time," he said. | "The hardest part is knowing she is still in a freezer after all this time," he said. |
| Mr Bird, 30, last saw his daughter months before her death, just before she disappeared from his life. | Mr Bird, 30, last saw his daughter months before her death, just before she disappeared from his life. |
| He said he met Eve for the first time when she was three months old because he had split up with her mother, Abigail Leatherland, just before she was born. | He said he met Eve for the first time when she was three months old because he had split up with her mother, Abigail Leatherland, just before she was born. |
| They got back together and he lived with Eve for about seven months before he and Leatherland broke up again. | They got back together and he lived with Eve for about seven months before he and Leatherland broke up again. |
| Mr Bird, from Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire, said he saw Eve for about two months after that, before Leatherland - who was convicted on Thursday of causing or allowing Eve's death - disappeared with his daughter. | Mr Bird, from Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire, said he saw Eve for about two months after that, before Leatherland - who was convicted on Thursday of causing or allowing Eve's death - disappeared with his daughter. |
| "My mate told me Abby had moved to Cornwall but I said 'she can't have done, she has probably gone on holiday and not told me', bearing in mind I was having Eve once a week, so I thought she had gone and she would be back. | "My mate told me Abby had moved to Cornwall but I said 'she can't have done, she has probably gone on holiday and not told me', bearing in mind I was having Eve once a week, so I thought she had gone and she would be back. |
| "I tried messaging her, I tried ringing her but I couldn't get in touch and because I wasn't on the birth certificate, I had no rights to go to solicitors to try to find where they were." | "I tried messaging her, I tried ringing her but I couldn't get in touch and because I wasn't on the birth certificate, I had no rights to go to solicitors to try to find where they were." |
| Mr Bird said he assumed Leatherland's move to Cornwall was temporary and she would be back in a couple of weeks. | Mr Bird said he assumed Leatherland's move to Cornwall was temporary and she would be back in a couple of weeks. |
| Seven months later, the police arrived at his house to tell him Eve was dead. | Seven months later, the police arrived at his house to tell him Eve was dead. |
| Initially officers thought Eve had died from a viral infection but as their investigation progressed Mr Bird found out about the abuse she had suffered. | Initially officers thought Eve had died from a viral infection but as their investigation progressed Mr Bird found out about the abuse she had suffered. |
| "I dream about it a lot," he said. | "I dream about it a lot," he said. |
| "The coppers told me what had happened but they didn't tell me how, so all day every day I am sat thinking... 'how has this happened'?" | "The coppers told me what had happened but they didn't tell me how, so all day every day I am sat thinking... 'how has this happened'?" |
| Mr Bird said he felt relieved when the police charged his former partner and Thomas Curd, with whom she had been living in Liskeard, Cornwall, at the time. | Mr Bird said he felt relieved when the police charged his former partner and Thomas Curd, with whom she had been living in Liskeard, Cornwall, at the time. |
| "I wanted answers there and then," he said. "I wanted to know what had happened, how it had happened. I didn't want to keep thinking all of these things." | "I wanted answers there and then," he said. "I wanted to know what had happened, how it had happened. I didn't want to keep thinking all of these things." |
| Mr Bird, who previously owned a tattoo shop, drove the 600-mile round trip from his home to Cornwall almost daily throughout the three-week trial to hear the gruesome details of what happened to Eve. | Mr Bird, who previously owned a tattoo shop, drove the 600-mile round trip from his home to Cornwall almost daily throughout the three-week trial to hear the gruesome details of what happened to Eve. |
| Jurors at Truro Crown Court were told how tests had revealed the toddler had suffered multiple skull and rib fractures, a ruptured liver and numerous other injuries. | Jurors at Truro Crown Court were told how tests had revealed the toddler had suffered multiple skull and rib fractures, a ruptured liver and numerous other injuries. |
| She had also been given a dose of the opiate codeine that would have been fatal to an adult. | She had also been given a dose of the opiate codeine that would have been fatal to an adult. |
| On Thursday, Curd was found guilty of her murder. | On Thursday, Curd was found guilty of her murder. |
| Mr Bird said he would now take his battle for the right to bury Eve to the civil courts. | Mr Bird said he would now take his battle for the right to bury Eve to the civil courts. |
| His case is complicated by the fact that because he is not named on Eve's birth certificate, he had no legal rights when she died. | His case is complicated by the fact that because he is not named on Eve's birth certificate, he had no legal rights when she died. |
| But he said it would be "morally wrong" if Leatherland was allowed to have a funeral for Eve. | But he said it would be "morally wrong" if Leatherland was allowed to have a funeral for Eve. |
| Jurors in the trial heard Mr Bird was Eve's biological father and he has asked for a DNA test to be carried out to prove this definitively, although so far this has not happened. | Jurors in the trial heard Mr Bird was Eve's biological father and he has asked for a DNA test to be carried out to prove this definitively, although so far this has not happened. |
| "I can't do anything else for Eve now apart from get justice for her," he said. | "I can't do anything else for Eve now apart from get justice for her," he said. |
| "Knowing you could not protect your daughter, that's the hardest thing." | "Knowing you could not protect your daughter, that's the hardest thing." |
| A mother automatically has parental responsibility for her children. A father usually has parental responsibility if he is either married to the child's mother, or listed on the birth certificate. | |
| Dr Brian Sloan, law lecturer at Cambridge University's Robinson College, described the case as "unusual". | Dr Brian Sloan, law lecturer at Cambridge University's Robinson College, described the case as "unusual". |
| He said Mr Bird would probably need to obtain a "parental responsibility order" for Eve, although it was not clear that a court would make such an order now she had died. | He said Mr Bird would probably need to obtain a "parental responsibility order" for Eve, although it was not clear that a court would make such an order now she had died. |
| Mr Bird might have to rely on his status as a father without parental responsibility, which could make things difficult, Dr Sloan said. | Mr Bird might have to rely on his status as a father without parental responsibility, which could make things difficult, Dr Sloan said. |
| "Parental responsibility is essentially the ability to take decisions about a child's upbringing, and is thought to include arranging the funeral," Dr Sloan said. | "Parental responsibility is essentially the ability to take decisions about a child's upbringing, and is thought to include arranging the funeral," Dr Sloan said. |
| "This case is a good illustration of the discrimination faced by fathers not married to the mothers of their children." | "This case is a good illustration of the discrimination faced by fathers not married to the mothers of their children." |
| Dr Sloan added that given Leatherland had been found guilty of being culpable in her daughter's death, he would "generally expect" the courts to give more weight to Mr Bird's views. | Dr Sloan added that given Leatherland had been found guilty of being culpable in her daughter's death, he would "generally expect" the courts to give more weight to Mr Bird's views. |
| When a person dies in unexplained circumstances, a coroner might decide a post-mortem examination is needed and will not release the body for a funeral until that examination has been completed and it has been agreed no further tests are needed. | When a person dies in unexplained circumstances, a coroner might decide a post-mortem examination is needed and will not release the body for a funeral until that examination has been completed and it has been agreed no further tests are needed. |
| In Eve's case tissue samples had to be analysed by different experts, delaying the process for many months. | In Eve's case tissue samples had to be analysed by different experts, delaying the process for many months. |
| Her father said he had struggled with his mental health since Eve died and often blamed himself for what had happened, feeling he "could have done more". | Her father said he had struggled with his mental health since Eve died and often blamed himself for what had happened, feeling he "could have done more". |
| Mr Bird, who has five children, said when his youngest son was born to his current partner in July he was investigated by social services, who were worried that he had played a part in Eve's death. | Mr Bird, who has five children, said when his youngest son was born to his current partner in July he was investigated by social services, who were worried that he had played a part in Eve's death. |
| "I don't know if it is the tattoos on my face, I don't know if it is to do with that... they just seem to be coming at me at all angles," he said. | "I don't know if it is the tattoos on my face, I don't know if it is to do with that... they just seem to be coming at me at all angles," he said. |
| Mr Bird said he did have a "bit of a history" but nothing recent - and he would never hurt his children. | Mr Bird said he did have a "bit of a history" but nothing recent - and he would never hurt his children. |
| "Social services and everybody like that, they just look at me like I am some sort of person who would do these kind of things," he added. | "Social services and everybody like that, they just look at me like I am some sort of person who would do these kind of things," he added. |
| Nottinghamshire County Council said it could not comment on individual cases. | Nottinghamshire County Council said it could not comment on individual cases. |
| Mr Bird added: "I blame myself a lot for Eve dying… I wish I would have pushed it more to get my name on the birth certificate so I could have found her. | Mr Bird added: "I blame myself a lot for Eve dying… I wish I would have pushed it more to get my name on the birth certificate so I could have found her. |
| "It does hurt me a lot. I am her dad, I should have protected her and she is just gone... my main aim now is to lay her to rest properly." | "It does hurt me a lot. I am her dad, I should have protected her and she is just gone... my main aim now is to lay her to rest properly." |
| Curd and Leatherland are due to be sentenced on Friday morning. | Curd and Leatherland are due to be sentenced on Friday morning. |