Elsie Scully-Hicks: Father referred to toddler as 'Satan' and 'diva' in text messages prior to her death, court hears

Fitness instructor Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, on trial in Cardiff accused of murder

Matthew Scully-Hicks, a part-time fitness instructor of Delabole, Cornwall, denies murdering Elsie at the couple's home in Llandaff (PA)

A fitness instructor accused of murdering his adopted toddler daughter, whom he described as “Satan” and a “diva” in text messages, told police she was a happy child, a court has heard.

Matthew Scully-Hicks is on trial at Cardiff Crown Court accused of killing Elsie Scully-Hicks, who was 18 months old when she died in May 2016.

Elsie had been formally adopted by Scully-Hicks, 31, and his husband Craig, 36, two weeks before she was rushed to hospital on 25 May, after collapsing at home and suffering a cardiac arrest.

The toddler was found to be suffering from three separate areas of subdural bleeding, retinal bleeding in both eyes, a skull fracture and fractures to three ribs and her leg.

The prosecution case is that all of the injuries were inflicted on Elsie, who died on 29 May, shortly before her admission to hospital by Scully-Hicks, who denies murder.

A series of medical experts have said the injuries were likely to have been caused by shaking.

On Monday, the jury was read a number of text messages between Scully-Hicks and his husband and friends.

In one, Scully-Hicks said: “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.

“She's just stopped but I doubt that's the last I'll hear tonight.”

In a message to his husband, Scully-Hicks described Elsie as “Satan dressed up in a babygro” and then added: “Elsie has had two nights of being Satan”.

The couple then joked about “calling a priest” for Elsie if she did not stop behaving like Satan, the court heard.

Scully-Hicks said: “A priest isn't a bad shout, I'll look on Google now. LOL xxx”

He sent another message to his husband, who the court heard was away for work regularly, saying he felt “ready to explode, it has been a difficult few days”.

Another message read: “It's a long-standing issue.

“She wakes up at regular intervals during the night.

“She just wants to be given her dummy and attention but she has a proper diva strop about it all!

“We think someone used to bring her downstairs in the middle of the night which we don't do.

“She's pissy because we don't let her.”

Scully-Hicks was formally interviewed by police on 23 June 2016 and transcripts of the interview were read to the jury.

Asked about Elsie's behaviour, Scully-Hicks told the officers that she was vocal about the things she wanted and would “whinge” for them.

“She didn't tend to scream or anything like that, it was a whinge or a cry,” he said.

Asked about how he coped caring for Elsie, he said: “I never felt like it was consuming me where I thought I could not cope.”

Scully-Hicks, from Delabole, Cornwall, added: “She was very happy... overall she was a happy little girl.”

The court previously heard Elsie fractured her right leg in two places in November 2015 and suffered bruises to her head in December and January 2016.

On 10 March, she was taken to the University Hospital of Wales after falling down the stairs.

The court previously heard Elsie's injuries in May were consistent with her being “shaken violently” and having her head “rocked backwards and forwards so that her head was flexed down onto her chest and flexed backwards”.

Scully-Hicks denies one charge of murder.

The trial, expected to last five weeks, continues.

Scully-Hicks was arrested on suspicion of murder on 21 December 2016 and was interviewed again and asked about the contents of various medical reports.

“I am not satisfied the medical reports explored everything, they explored one option,” he said.

“I want answers as much as anybody but I cannot accept that the only answer people are giving me is that I have caused these injuries.”

Scully-Hicks said he “dealt with her appropriately on all occasions” and sought medical attention for Elsie when she needed it.

He was asked if he saw Elsie go limp and floppy on 25 May, as he said during the 999 call.

Scully-Hicks said: “No, I was describing what I could see at the time.”

It was also suggested that he told a paramedic Elsie screamed in pain before collapsing.

Scully-Hicks said he did not think he spoke to a paramedic but had been taken to another room by a police officer.

The trial was adjourned to Tuesday.

PA