'Evil' father Ben Butler jailed for life after being found guilty of murdering his daughter

 A father who fought a three-year battle to be reunited with his daughter after his conviction for violently shaking her was quashed, has been found guilty of her murder.
Six-year-old Ellie Butler died on October 28 2013 CREDIT: FAMILY HANDOUT
Ben Butler, 36, was jailed for life with a minimum tariff of 23-years after being convicted of killing six-year-old Ellie at their home in Sutton and then trying to make it look like an accident.His partner and Ellie's mother, Jennie Gray, was jailed for 42 months after being convicted of child cruelty, having already admitted covering up the murder.
The former removals man, who has a string of convictions for violence, had been jailed in 2009 after being found guilty of shaking baby Ellie when she was just six weeks old.
But the Court of Appeal later overturned the conviction and after a mammoth legal battle a judge, Mrs Justice Hogg, ruled that Ellie should be handed back to Butler and his partner Jennie Gray.
Just 11 months later Ellie was found dead on her bedroom floor, having sustained injuries that the prosecution said were similar to those one would suffer in a high speed car crash.
Ellie's maternal grandparents, who looked after her until the courts granted custody to Butler and Gray, described their devastation at her death.
Grandmother Linda Gray died on the first day of the murder trial and her husband Neal was understood to be too ill to give evidence.
In a joint statement written ahead of the trial, they said: "Our lives have changed so dramatically due to the impact and shock and horror of this event that we struggle every day to deal with the reality of the death of our dear granddaughter Ellie. She was our shining light."
They added: "We did not realise that some people could be so wicked in life."
Butler had claimed he was devoted to Ellie and claimed she had fallen while playing in her bedroom.But during his trial the jury was shown hundreds of text messages sent by Butler to Gray which showed his violent temper and his resentment towards his role as house husband.
Butler's ex-girlfriend, Hannah Hillman, whom he had admitted assaulting in the past, described him as "pure evil" in a witness statement which was not given to the jury.
As the verdicts were returned Butler mumbled angrily, while Gray said: "Big mistake, big mistake, big mistake."
Following the verdicts Butler's lawyer, Di Middleton, asked for sentencing at the Old Bailey to be adjourned.
But Butler shouted out: "Di, I want to be sentenced now. There is no need - you can sentence me now so I can fight in the appeal court and prove this wrong. I will fight forever to prove this wrong."