A mother and her partner have been jailed for life for murdering toddler Liam Fee.

The two-year-old’s mother Rachel Trelfa and her civil partner Nyomi Fee appeared for sentencing at the High Court in Edinburgh on Wednesday after they were found guilty of the killing in May.

They were both jailed for life by judge Lord Burns; Fee will serve a minimum of 24 years in prison and Trelfa received a term of 23 and a half years.

The court heard both women accept they failed to get medical help for the toddler, but they disagreed with their murder convictions.

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Lord Burns told the couple: “You subjected [the children] to a cruel, pitiless regime of ill treatment and neglect.

“In the case of Liam, that treatment included the assault which caused his death.”

He added that the post-mortem examination showed the two-year-old had been “subjected to a prolonged course of violent behaviour”.

In sentencing, the judge stated: “Each of you had responsibility for the care and welfare of three young children. You, Rachel Fee, and you, Nyomi Fee, grossly abused those responsibilities.

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“In the case of Liam that ill-treatment included the assault which caused his death and for which the jury convicted you of his murder.”

He added that it appeared from the video interviews with the boys that they were “obviously and profoundly damaged” by the women’s treatment of them.

“It cannot be known what permanent damage has been inflicted but it is a tribute to the care they have had since that date that they now appear to have substantially recovered,” he said.

Lord Burns said all the offences are aggravated by the breach of the responsibilities they shared and by the age and vulnerability of the children.

“Other than accepting guilt for the neglect of Liam in the week prior to his death, you have shown no remorse for your actions,” he added.

As the verdict was delivered on Wednesday, members of the public in the court gallery could be heard saying “yes”.

The women had denied murdering Liam at a house in Thornton, near Glenrothes in Fife, on March 22, 2014.

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They also pleaded not guilty to a catalogue of abuse against Liam and two other boys, who cannot be named for legal reasons, from January 2012.

Fee and Trelfa, originally from Ryton, Tyne and Wear, were convicted of the crimes, as well as attempting to defeat the ends of justice, following a seven-week trial at the High Court in Livingston.

The violence and abuse against Liam and the two other children was said to have “escalated” in the months leading up to his death.

Liam suffered heart injuries similar to those found on road crash victims.

He was found to have more than 30 external injuries on his body, and fractures to his upper arm and thigh.

Fee, 29, and Trelfa, 31, forced the two other youngsters to take cold showers when they wet the bed, imprisoned one in a home-made cage and tying another naked to a chair in a dark room where snakes and rats were kept.

The women attempted to pin the blame for Liam’s death on one of the young boys.

The couple – who had no previous convictions – were found guilty of all eight charges against them, with a majority verdict returned on the murder charge.

Jurors were excused from jury duty for ten years because the case was so distressing.

Liam Fee’s father, Joseph Johnson, left the High Court on Wednesday without commenting on the sentence.

After the sentences were delivered on Wednesday, Detective Inspector Rory Hamilton, who led the investigation into the toddler’s murder, paid tribute to the evidence of the young boys in the case, which helped to secure the conviction.

He said: “The thoughts of all those connected to our investigation remain with Liam’s wider family and those who knew him during his short life.

“The sentences today reflect the seriousness of the crimes committed by Rachel and Nyomi Fee; they also reflect the joint commitment of Police Scotland and partners to bringing to justice those who commit acts of violence against the most vulnerable in our communities.

“I would again commend the two young boys whose evidence played such a vital part in securing the convictions and bringing their abusers, and the women who murdered Liam, to justice.”

Jennifer Harrower, procurator fiscal for homicide and major crime, added: “This was a hugely challenging case involving the tragic death of a very young boy. The complex nature of the evidence was made all the more difficult by the accused callously blaming the murder on an entirely innocent young child in their care.

“The evidence led in court was also extremely distressing for the jurors. As prosecutors, we take measures to mitigate the exposure of jurors to graphic material, whilst still ensuring the necessity that all relevant evidence in the case is scrutinised and tested.”

Matt Forde, head of service for NSPCC Scotland, welcomed the jail terms given to Fee and Trelfa.

He said: “Those responsible for Liam’s brutal murder have quite rightly received long jail terms. It is incomprehensible how two people who were meant to look after the children in their care could subject them to such appalling abuse.

“They chose to murder a defenceless child in the most horrific way, abuse other children and shamefully attempted to shift the blame for Liam’s death on to another child.”

He added: “Details of the horrendous abuse this couple inflicted on Liam and the other children were shocking to hear and the sentences passed today reflect the brutality of their crimes.

“Fife Child Protection Committee has already begun a Significant Case Review into this case and it is vital that the investigation is carried out thoroughly so action can be taken to prevent other children from suffering as Liam did before his murder, his short life scarred by neglect, abuse and violence.

“The two boys who survived the abuse will need support, stability and love to help them come to terms with their experiences and begin to recover.”

Alison Todd, chief executive officer of Children 1st, said: “Liam’s plight has shocked Scotland. It will have taken tremendous courage for the two other boys involved to speak about their experiences.

“It is down to their bravery and the skills of the joint investigative interviewers in building the boys’ trust that justice has been done in this terrible case.”

She added: “Children and families must be at the heart of the Scottish Government’s child protection improvement programme, if it is to bring about the changes to culture and practices that will help us get it right for every child.”