A man has been found guilty of murdering his 18-month old adopted daughter.

Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, had been looking after Elsie when she went into cardiac arrest in May 2016.

The toddler died four days after being taken to the University Hospital of Wales.

She had a bleed on the brain, a skull fracture, retinal bleeding in both of her eyes and damaged ribs.

999 calls of 'violent' adoptive father emerge

A paediatrician said it was likely that Elsie had been "shaken violently", with her head being "rocked backwards and forwards".


The little girl went to live with Scully-Hicks and his husband in September 2015, eight months before she died.

In that time she sustained a number of injuries, which the prosecution suggested amounted to "assault and abuse".

Six months before her death, she suffered bruises to her head.

Image: Matthew Scully-Hicks complained about Elsie in text messages to his husband

Image: In one message he compared the infant to Satan

On that occasion, Matthew Scully-Hicks called 999, saying: "My daughter's fallen down the stairs. She's not responding to me... I didn't push the gate closed properly and she fell down."

When the operator asked if the toddler was responding, he replied: "Her eyes are opening and they're rolling around. I think she's looking at me now but she's not moving... oh my god, she's being sick."

Prosecuting barrister Paul Lewis told Cardiff Crown Court that Elsie's death was "the tragic culmination of a course of violent conduct on (Scully-Hicks') part towards a defenceless child."

He added that Elsie should have been "loved and protected", but was instead "assaulted, abused and ultimately murdered" by Scully-Hicks.

Image: Matthew Scully-Hicks had been looking after Elsie when she went into cardiac arrest in 2016

Neighbours said they had heard Scully-Hicks shouting at Elsie, telling her to "shut up".

In a series of text messages he referred to her as "Satan" and a "psycho".

In one, he explained to his husband that he was struggling to cope with caring for their adopted daughter.

He wrote: "I'm going through hell with Elsie. Mealtimes and bedtimes are like my worst nightmare at the minute. She has been up there screaming for 10 minutes non-stop".

Image: The stairs Elsie was alleged to have fallen down two months before she died

In another, he said: "Elsie has had two nights of being Satan before bed which ain't fun... she pretty much looks like the exorcist to be fair."

Matthew Scully-Hicks' husband, Craig, told the court the couple's home was filled with nothing but love and affection.

He said that had he suspected anything was wrong, he would have intervened.