Mother found guilty of child cruelty over car seat death

The mother of a three-year-old boy crushed to death by a car seat has been found guilty of child cruelty.

Adrian Hoare, 23 was accused of failing to prevent her boyfriend Stephen Waterson, 25, - the adopted son of a former Tory minister - from squashing Alfie Lamb in the footwell of his car by pushing his seat backwards in February last year.

Following a trial an Old Bailey jury was unable to decide whether Waterson was guilty of the manslaughter of the child, but found him guilty of intimidating a witness in the case.

The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) has asked for seven days to decide whether to seek a retrial for Waterson on the manslaughter charge.

Hoare was cleared of manslaughter, but convicted of the alternative charge of child cruelty and also assaulting a witness.

The defendants had previously admitted conspiracy to pervert the course of justice after lying to the police over what had happened.

On February 1 last year, the defendants had gone shopping for cushions in Sutton, accompanied by Alfie, and two friends, Emilie Williams, 19 and Marcus Lamb, 22.

Jurors were shown CCTV of Alfie running to keep up with his mother moments before he was put in the car for the journey back to Croydon, south London.

It was alleged nightclub worker Waterson became annoyed at Alfie's crying and twice moved his front passenger seat into him as he sat at his mother's feet.

Jurors heard the maximum space in the foot well was 30cm, and, at the touch of a button, that could be reduced to just 9.5cm.

Waterson, who is 5ft 7in tall, initially pushed his front seat back to give himself more leg room, according to Ms Williams, who is the sister of his ex-girlfriend.

Alfie screamed for his "mummy" but Hoare just slapped him and told him to "shut up", said unqualified driver Mr Lamb, who was Alfie's cousin.

By the time they arrived at Waterson's home in Croydon, south London, the boy had collapsed and stopped breathing.

As medics desperately tried to revive him, Waterson fled the scene and Hoare spun a web of lies, claiming she had been in a taxi.

Alfie, nicknamed "Little Tarzan" by the defendants, died from crush asphyxia three days later.

Meanwhile, Waterson gave officers a false name and false statement and sold the Audi.

Afterwards, Hoare and Waterson, the adopted son of former Tory Minister Nigel Waterson, lied to police about what happened.

Jurors were told Waterson was a controlling womaniser who used his family connections to "powerful people" to control and manipulate people.

He also had a violent temper with three previous convictions for attacking an ex-girlfriend and his sister's husband.

Giving evidence, Waterson denied he would hurt a child and said he moved his seat back once by up to an inch.

It was suggested on his behalf that Hoare must have done something to cause Alfie's injuries.

Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC told jurors that both defendants had played a part in Alfie's death, saying Hoare had "fundamentally and fatally" failed to act.

Responding to the verdict, Scotland Yard's Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding said: "He was a vulnerable three-and-a-half-year-old who had his life in front of him. He had no-one to care for him on that day.

Mr Harding added: "Adrian Hoare, as a mother, has the same responsibilities as any other mother who is looking after a child, especially of that age as it's paramount she looks after their safety and their wellbeing. It's clear from her actions on that day she really did not have concerns."