Dad who sent smiling Snapchat picture of son to mother before beating him to death jailed for life

A father who sent a smiling Snapchat picture of his two-year-old son to the child’s mother before beating him to death has been jailed for life.

Raphael Kennedy, 31, will serve a minimum of 24 years after inflicting ‘car-crash like’ injuries on Dylan Tiffin-Brown.

He left his son to die and failed to call an ambulance for an hour and a half after the attack.

Dylan’s mother Tayla Tiffin, 18, was sent a Snapchat picture of her son smiling and wearing his pyjamas just minutes before he was killed.

The jury was told that Dylan had five different drugs, including cocaine and heroin, in his system when he died.

Dylan suffered multiple lacerations to his liver and substantial bleeding to his abdomen during the sustained assault. He also suffered multiple rib fractures.

The court heard that the injuries would have left Dylan in significant pain and he would have been in distress when breathing and trying to walk.

Kennedy denied killing his son, saying that someone else beat him while he was out of the house dealing drugs.

The jury unanimously found him guilty of murder following a three-week trial.

Ms Tiffin said in a statement: “Dylan was truly the most perfect little boy you could ever meet.

“He had a smile as bright as the sun, his eyes were crystals like the stars above and his love was the best feeling in the world.

“Dylan loved singing and dancing, but now he will be dancing in the sky.

“Knowing I won’t get to hold my baby again leaves a pain like no other.

“Your footprints have left a forever memory in my heart, my sleeping prince, I love you Dyl.”

DCI Ally White from the East Midlands Special Operations Unit said: “It is unimaginable for most of us to believe that a parent could be responsible for killing their child.

“Sadly, Dylan was brutally beaten to death by his father, Raphael Kennedy just ten days before Christmas.”