A mother Sarah Elizabeth Morris, 35, has been found guilty of gross neglect murder after her baby sank in the bath at home. She was sentenced in court over the death of her 13 month old daughter, Rosie.
Little Rosie was in the bath with her twin in at their home in Flintshire, Wales, while her mother was on the phone to her partner. The call continued for 47 minutes while the twins were in waist high water.
When Morris returned to the bathroom her daughter was not breathing. She then called a friend for ten minutes before calling 999.
During the trial, the court heard that Morris, who has been incapable to deliver a clear account of what happened, was on the phone to her then partner Sarah Swindles for almost 50 minutes while her children were in the bath.
Sarah said the water was around the waist high on the babies and there had never been a problem with them being in the bath before. But claimed that she came into the bathroom to find the plug had been pulled out by the twin and Rosie was lying on her back with no water in the bath.
Neighbours helped to try to save the baby until paramedics turned up and the child was taken to hospital under cardiac arrest and she died several hours later.
During cross-questioning, Oliver Saxby QC said the mother had been cautioned two times in four months about the hazards of leaving children unaccompanied in water.
Judge Simon Picken told the jury at Mold Crown Court that mere carelessness was not enough. He said that there must be gross neglect. Even very grave mistakes of judgement are not adequate. You must be sure there’s negligence so bad you regard it as criminal.
The court said that Morris had been in very steady contact with social workers and others and it was their opinion that she was doing a satisfactory job.
Pronounce judgment is due imminently.
