Tragic Death of Two-Year-Old Isabella Jonas-Wheildon
Scott Jeff, a child murderer, was in the life of two-year-old Isabella Jonas-Wheildon for just 36 days before subjecting her to fatal attacks. Jeff and Isabella’s mother, Chelsea Gleason-Mitchell, fled their hometown in Bedfordshire, moving to the Norfolk coast and then Ipswich while under the influence of drugs.
The couple’s relationship began in 2019 but initially ended. Gleason-Mitchell later had Isabella with Thomas Wheildon, during which time Isabella was described as a “happy, healthy, engaging and contented child.” However, after splitting from her father, Gleason-Mitchell reunited with Jeff on May 21, 2023.
They traveled to Great Yarmouth, staying in various locations including a hotel, a beach tent, and a caravan park. During this time, Isabella was regularly left alone and forced to repeat learned phrases about her father hurting her. They eventually secured a flat in Ipswich on June 19, just days before the tragic events unfolded.
On June 30, 2023, Isabella was found dead under a pile of blankets with “traumatic injuries from head to toe.” A bone pathologist, Prof Anthony Freemont, stated he had never seen such severe pelvic injuries in a child during his 40-year career. The toddler’s injuries were comparable to those sustained in high-velocity traffic accidents or from being kicked by a horse.
Despite her death, the couple continued to pretend Isabella was alive, wheeling her dead body around Ipswich in a pushchair while shopping, drinking, and taking cocaine. Toxicology reports revealed traces of drugs in Isabella’s body, likely from second-hand exposure.
The alarm was raised when Gleason-Mitchell admitted to a friend online that Isabella had been dead in her pushchair for approximately three days. She claimed she feared contacting authorities due to the bruising on her daughter’s body.
On June 30, the couple abandoned their flat, went shopping, visited McDonald’s, and spent time at a pub. Jeff’s mother had urged him to turn himself in, but he refused. Meanwhile, Gleason-Mitchell’s friend had already contacted the police with concerns about Isabella.
The couple was arrested in Bury St Edmunds in the early hours of July 1. During the trial, both defendants blamed each other for the violence, with each claiming they never physically harmed Isabella.
A jury found Jeff guilty of murder, causing or allowing the death of a child, and child cruelty related to drug use. Gleason-Mitchell admitted charges relating to the child’s death and child cruelty.
After the verdict, the judge indicated that Jeff would receive a life sentence. The pair are scheduled to be sentenced on December 13 at Ipswich Crown Court.
The local authorities have yet to confirm whether they had any prior contact with the couple and Isabella before her death.
