Home / Crime and Justice / Nursery Worker Jailed for Restraint Death of Baby Noah
Nursery Worker Jailed for Restraint Death of Baby Noah
17 Apr
Summary
- A nursery worker received over three years for gross negligence manslaughter.
- The nursery was fined £240,000 for corporate manslaughter and safety failures.
- Noah Sibanda died after being restrained face-down with a blanket over his head.
A nursery worker, Kimberley Cookson, has been sentenced to three years and four months in prison for the gross negligence manslaughter of 14-month-old Noah Sibanda. The tragic incident occurred in December 2022 at Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, where Noah was found unresponsive after being restrained face-down with a blanket over his head. He was left unchecked for two hours.
During sentencing at Wolverhampton crown court, Justice Choudhury described the CCTV footage as "shocking" and noted the "distressing" level of disregard for Noah's welfare. The judge highlighted that dangerous practices went unchecked and that it was "blind luck" no other child had died previously.
The owner of the now-closed nursery, Deborah Latewood, received a suspended six-month sentence for a health and safety offence. Fairytales Day Nursery was fined £240,000 for corporate manslaughter and failure to comply with health and safety regulations. It was also ordered to pay £56,000 in legal costs.
Noah's parents shared victim impact statements detailing their immense grief. His mother described the nursery as having played "Russian roulette with our children's lives," while his father stated, "My son died at just 14 months old because of the gross negligence of someone who was trusted to care for him."
