Nursery worker admits manslaughter of toddler

A nursery worker has admitted manslaughter in connection with the death of a 14-month-old boy.

Noah Sibanda died after an incident at Dudley's Fairytales Day Nursery, in the West Midlands, on 9 December 2022.

Kimberley Cookson, 22, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter.

Nursery owner Deborah Latewood, 54, appeared alongside Cookson in the dock and denied failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between 29 November and 9 December 2022.

A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of the firm which ran the now-closed nursery, based in Bourne Street, to one count of corporate manslaughter.

This includes an alleged failure to ensure children in the baby room were put down to sleep in a safe way, failure to ensure staff were adequately trained to put babies down to sleep and failure to ensure staff were adequately supervised while doing so.

The company also denies failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure Noah and others were not exposed to risk between 29 November and 9 December 2022.

Cookson and Latewood spoke only to confirm their date of birth and to enter their pleas in front of the courtroom, which was packed with members of Noah's family and supporters of the defendants.

Judge Michael Chambers KC said Latewood and the company would face a trial, likely to be in 2026, but did not set a date.

Cookson will be sentenced upon conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and both Cookson and Ms Latewood were released on unconditional bail until the next hearing.

Judge Chambers said: "In your case, Kimberley Cookson, you have had the courage to plead guilty and will get the appropriate credit for that plea.

"I am adjourning your sentencing until the conclusion of the trial, so the judge will have all the facts of the case."

He warned both defendants that if they did not appear for their trial, they could face further criminal proceedings.

A pre-trial review hearing was set for 5 December.

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