Nursery worker jailed for toddler's death due to excessive force

A nursery worker in Dudley, United Kingdom, has been sentenced to over three years in prison for the death of a 14-month-old boy who was subjected to excessive restraint during nap time.

Kimberley Cookson was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter after the toddler, Noah Sibanda, died following an incident at Fairytales Day Nursery in December 2022.

Court proceedings revealed that Cookson used excessive force by wrapping the toddler tightly in blankets and placing her leg across his lower back for seven minutes while trying to make him sleep.

The child was then left unattended for approximately two hours before being found unresponsive.

Noah was discovered face down on a soft cushion inside a teepee in the nursery's baby room and was pronounced dead in hospital an hour after being found.

The nursery owner, Deborah Latewood, received a suspended six-month prison sentence for a health and safety offence, and the nursery itself was fined £240,000 for corporate manslaughter and health and safety violations.

The case has drawn attention to the use of so-called sleeping pods at the nursery, which are sleeping bags designed for outdoor camping but were introduced indoors despite not complying with NHS sleep guidance.

Prosecutors highlighted that these pods could be too hot for indoor use and unsafe for infants.

Judge Justice Choudhury described the CCTV footage shown during sentencing as "shocking" but noted that Cookson was not a rogue actor, stating that much of her conduct was accepted practice.

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