This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/nov/14/alfie-lamb-death-man-jailed-after-crushing-boy-car-seat

The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Alfie Lamb death: man jailed after crushing boy with car seat Alfie Lamb death: man jailed after crushing boy with car seat
(32 minutes later)
Stephen Waterson imprisoned for seven years after killing three-year-old boy from KentStephen Waterson imprisoned for seven years after killing three-year-old boy from Kent
A former government minister’s son who killed his girlfriend’s young toddler with a car seat has been jailed for seven years and seven months by a judge who described him as cunning and manipulative. A former government minister’s son who killed his girlfriend’s toddler with a car seat has been jailed for seven years and six months by a judge who described him as “cunning and manipulative”.
Stephen Waterson, the adopted son of the former MP Nigel Waterson, killed Alfie Lamb in 2018 in what police have said was the first case of death from crush asphyxiation as a result of an electronic car seat.Stephen Waterson, the adopted son of the former MP Nigel Waterson, killed Alfie Lamb in 2018 in what police have said was the first case of death from crush asphyxiation as a result of an electronic car seat.
The boy’s mother, Adrian Hoare, 24, was jailed earlier this year for two years and nine months for child cruelty after she was found guilty of putting the three-year-old into harm’s way by placing him in the footwell of Waterson’s Audi convertible. The boy’s mother, Adrian Hoare, 24, was jailed in May for two years and nine months for child cruelty after she was found guilty of putting the three-year-old into harm’s way by placing him in the footwell of Waterson’s Audi convertible.
Sentencing Waterson at the Old Bailey to five years and six months for the child’s manslaughter, Mr Justice Kerr added two years for intimidation and 18 months for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice to run concurrently with each other. Sentencing Waterson at the Old Bailey to five years and six months for the child’s manslaughter, Mr Justice Kerr added two years for intimidation and 18 months for conspiracy to pervert the course of justice, to run concurrently with each other.
Previous hearings had heard how the child had collapsed on the journey back to Croydon from a shopping trip to Sutton, south London, in February last year. He died in hospital three days later. Previous hearings heard how the child collapsed on a journey home to Croydon from a shopping trip to Sutton, south London, in February last year. He died in hospital three days later.
Waterson reversed the seat, squashing the child in the footwell behind. He was described by police as being “arrogant, selfish and deeply unpleasant”. He lied to officers about what happened and threatened his girlfriend and two friends who were also in the car. Waterson had reversed the seat, squashing the child in the footwell behind. He was described by police as “arrogant, selfish and deeply unpleasant”. He lied to officers about what happened and threatened his girlfriend and two friends who were also in the car.
Waterson and Hoare admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice by lying to police, and Waterson was convicted of intimidating Hoare and another witness, Marcus Lamb.
He was convicted of assaulting a third witness, Emilie Williams, 20, who admitted conspiring to pervert the course of justice after being threatened and “coerced” into lying to police.
Williams, who is due to give birth in January, was sentenced to five months imprisonment, suspended for 18 months, and 100 hours of unpaid work, to be completed after she gives birth.
The court was told that Waterson became annoyed at Alfie’s crying and moved his front passenger seat into him as he sat at his mother’s feet.
The maximum space in the footwell was 11.8in (30cm), and at the touch of a button that could be reduced to 3.7in (9.5cm).
When Alfie continued to moan, Waterson reversed again, saying: “I won’t be told what to do by a three-year-old,” Hoare told the court. By the time they arrived at Waterson’s home in Croydon, the toddler had collapsed and stopped breathing.
As medics tried to revive him, Waterson fled the scene and Hoare started to tell lies in an attempt to protect her boyfriend, claiming she had been in a taxi. He later threatened to make Hoare and the other witnesses “disappear” if they did not stick to their fake stories.
At Thursday’s sentencing, Kerr accepted character references from Waterson’s parents, who attended court, and agreed he was “not all bad”. But the judge said remorse on Waterson’s part had “come late” and described him as “cunning, manipulative, threatening and controlling”.
The judge praised the bravery of Alfie’s aunt, Ashleigh Jeffrey, who gave evidence against Waterson. It was to Jeffrey that Hoare eventually broke her silence about what had happened in a taped conversation that was handed to police
In a statement read in court, Jeffrey said: “Every time I saw Alfie he was so happy. He always wanted to play and had such a bright imagination. He had the best smile and he was always smiling. Alfie’s death has had such a profound effect on me, my life, my health, my children, my relationship.”