Nursery worker to be sentenced for manslaughter of toddler Noah Sibanda

Sentencing is underway at Wolverhampton Crown Court for Kimberley Cookson, a nursery worker, and Deborah Latewood, the owner of Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, following the death of 14-month-old Noah Sibanda.

Noah died on 9 December 2022 after being restrained face down at the nursery.

Cookson, aged 23, is being sentenced for gross negligence manslaughter.

Court proceedings revealed she placed Noah face down on a soft cushion inside a teepee in the nursery's baby room and used her left leg to hold him down to prevent movement while trying to get him to sleep.

Latewood, 55, faces sentencing for a health and safety offence.

The nursery itself will be sentenced for corporate manslaughter and a health and safety offence.

Noah's mother, Masi Sibanda, provided a victim impact statement describing her son as a confident and gentle child.

She said he was "alone, scared and in pain" in his final moments and expressed profound grief and guilt over the trust she had placed in the nursery.

She criticized the excessive force used on Noah, comparing it to methods used in prisons, and said he was treated as if he were a danger or prisoner.

She also questioned whether the treatment was influenced by Noah's skin colour or other biases.

The court heard that on the day of his death, Noah was wrapped tightly in blankets and placed face down inside a "sleeping pod"-a sleeping bag intended for outdoor camping-by Cookson.

The case has drawn public attention due to the circumstances of Noah's death and the charges against both individuals and the institution.

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