Parents of unsupervised toddler who drowned in the bath jailed for eight years
The parents of a 13-month-old boy who drowned after they left him unsupervised in the bath have been jailed for a total of eight-and-a-half years.
Wayne Dale and his ex-partner Lisa Passey were found guilty of the manslaughter by gross negligence of their son, Kian Dale.
Dale, 45, formerly of Kyreside in Tenbury Wells, Worcestershire, was jailed at Worcester Crown Court on Monday for four-and-a-half years.
Passey, 28, also of Kyreside – where the child drowned – was given a four-year sentence for her part in failing to supervise the boy.
Kian had been left unsupervised in a bath seat in an upstairs bathroom for at least 13 minutes while the couple were downstairs.
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During their two-week trial, a jury heard Passey had been sitting in the back garden enjoying the sunshine and drinking coffee with a friend, while Dale was ‘socialising, listening to music and using his computer’.
The court heard he burned a UB40 CD for a friend of Passey’s while Kian was upstairs.
Jonas Hankin QC, opening the prosecution’s case, said: ‘When, finally, Wayne Dale went upstairs to the bathroom, baby Kian had drowned.
‘He was found lying over the back of the bath seat with his head and upper body immersed.’
The court was shown Kian’s bath seat, which was clearly marked: ‘Warning: Prevent drowning – always keep baby within arms’ reach.’
Following their sentencing, Emily Lenham, senior crown prosecutor with West Midlands Crown Prosecution Service, said: ‘Both defendants were fully aware that Kian, their 13-month-old child, had been left unsupervised in a bath full of water.
‘This was not an isolated occurrence. During their trial, it was established that the couple routinely left Kian alone while he was in the bath.
‘On this occasion, he was left for nearly 15 minutes while both parents were downstairs socialising.
‘The death of Kian Dale was tragic and completely avoidable.
‘Wayne Dale and Lisa Passey owed their son a duty of care, to protect him from harm, but they failed in that duty and due to their grossly negligent acts both were responsible for his death.’
An NSPCC spokesman said: ‘These parents abandoned their responsibility to keep their child safe from harm – with devastating consequences.
‘Parents must be aware of the dangers of leaving their children alone, and assess the risks of each scenario before they make a decision.’
