‘Wicked’ stepdad jailed for killing five-year-old boy

A “WICKED and controlling” man who murdered his “fun-loving, mischievous” stepson has been ordered to serve at least 17 years in prison.

Elvis Lee, 34, had been found guilty of murdering five-year-old Tyler Whelan.

Lee admitted he kicked and bit Tyler on the day of his death but denied murder.

The kick was so hard that Tyler flew two feet through the air hitting a door at his home in Sheepwalk, Paston, near Peterborough, rupturing his abdomen which slowly killed him.

At Cambridge Crown Court today, Mr Justice Nicol sentenced Whelan to life with a minimum tariff of 17-and-a-half years.

He said: “Tyler had been left in your care while his mother took two other children to school.

“His young life was cut tragically short. This has been a tragedy for his father, his mother and the rest of the family.”

The boy’s mother, Stephanie Whelan, 27, was found guilty of allowing the boy’s death. She will be sentenced next month.

The trial heard evidence Tyler suffered a number of “non-accidental” injuries in the year before his death.

And a serious case review, compiled by Peterborough Safeguarding Children Board found that key opportunities to protect Tyler were missed by authorities tasked with his care.

Michael Borrelli QC, mitigating, said Lee’s attack on Tyler on March 7 last year was not pre-meditated and was instead a loss of temper and “act of spite”.