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A housing officer looking after the home of a Chesterfield couple accused of murdering their 10-month-old baby has described holes “punched” in doors and an “extremely” strong smell of cannabis at the Old Whittington address.

Laura Ogden, of the Guinness Partnership, told of “excess rubbish at the rear exterior and damage caused to internal doors”.

She saw “punch marks in the doors” and a “smashed kitchen window” during an inspection of the Holland Road property in February, 2020.

Ms Ogden’s comments were read out during Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden’s Derby Crown Court trial today (Thursday).

The worker described “excess rubbish at the rear exterior and damage caused to internal doors” in a statement read out to Derby Crown Court

Boden, 29, and Marsden 22, both deny murder, cruelty to a person under 16 and causing or allowing the death of a child.

Finley Boden died on Christmas Day 2020 – just 39 days after being returned to parents Stephen Boden and Shannon Marsden from care.

Mary Prior KC told the court Finley was subjected to “significant, substantial and repeated acts of severe violence” at the hands of his cannabis-addicted parents.

Ms Ogden told in her statement how she tried to contact the couple on “a number of occasions” between January 2019 and April 2020 - though she described the couple as “non-engaging”.

Timeline charts Derbyshire social services contact with Finley Boden and his par...

She raised concerns about “drug abuse” within the house and the property’s condition – with excess rubbish at the rear exterior and damage caused to internal doors.

A jury heard Shannon told the officer “Stephen had punched holes in the doors out of frustration” and they admitted to “previously using cannabis but not anymore”.

During unannounced visits the worker reporting smelling cannabis coming from the address – sensing the odour at the rear of the house.

Neither defendant ever answered the door during the unannounced visits, said the worker.

During a pre-arranged visit on February 11, 2020, the worker witnessed “punch marks in the doors” and a “smashed kitchen window”.

She said: “I was told that Stephen had punched the doors in temper.”

Speaking about a February 13, 2020 visit, she said: “I opened the front letterbox and was hit by an extremely strong smell of cannabis."

During a March visit the worker smelled the drug coming from the “front and rear”.

She said: “The rear garden was overgrown with a lot of rubbish and the rear wall was damaged due to a broken overflow pipe."

The trial continues.

Finley Boden: Housing officer describes awful state of accused pair’s Chesterfield home