Brandon Killing: Urgent Inquiries Launched

Three separate child protection inquiries were under way last night after a 23-year-old man was found guilty of killing toddler Brandon Muir.

Unemployed Robert Cunningham was convicted of the culpable homicide after inflicting a stomach injury on the child, aged 23 months when he died.

After the case, there were calls for the Scottish Government to establish how many other children were living in similar circumstances to Brandon, whose mother, Heather Boyd, 23, was a heroin user who turned to prostitution to finance the couple’s drug habit.

Dundee City Council has launched its own independent inquiry into its child protection services and the Scottish Government has called for a Significant Case Review – normal practice in cases of this kind.

Ministers have also urged that a routine HMIE inspection into the city’s child protection services should report back earlier than planned to establish any weaknesses in the system.

Last night it emerged that social workers had discussed concerns about the safety of the toddler just days before he was killed by Cunningham.

The authorities were satisfied Ms Boyd was coping as a mother and Brandon was not on the children-at-risk register. However, the picture changed when Cunningham moved into her home and discussions were held about moving to protect the toddler, who died with 40 injuries on his body.

But any action by social services came too late for the child, who died just 18 days after Cunningham moved into the flat rented by Ms Boyd in the Douglas area of Dundee.

Fred McBridge, chairman of the Dundee Children and Young Persons Protection Committee, said that any flaws in the child protection system would be addressed immediately.

The three-week trial at the High Court in Glasgow heard Brandon had been routinely sworn at and smacked, then fatally assaulted by Cunningham the afternoon before he died while his mother was out at the shops.

His injuries, caused by blunt force, caused part of his stomach to tear after it was pushed on to his spine and the toddler.

Cunningham, who has previous convictions for housebreaking and imprisonment, will be sentenced later this month. He was also charged with rape in 2003 but the case was not proven at the High Court in May 2005.

All charges linking Ms Boyd to the death of her son were dropped during the trial after her defence team, led by Donald Findlay, QC, argued there was not enough evidence to prove she had been aware of Cunningham’s attack.

Health minister Shona Robison, MSP for Dundee East, said: “Nothing can bring Brandon Muir back, but the authorities must take every action they can to ensure children are protected better now and in the future.”

Duncan McNeil MSP (Labour), Greenock and Inverclyde, called for the Scottish Government to take responsibility for the “invisible children” suffering from drug-abusing parents.

“Currently, the Scottish Government doesn’t even know how many children are living with a parent who has an addiction.”