April 2014
Mum and boyfriend jailed over manslaughter of toddler
Keiran Barley (inset), step father Craig Lewis and mum Louise Barley
An evil mother and her boyfriend ‘spun a web of lies’ to hide how defenceless toddler Kieron Barley met his death at their Birmingham home.
Louise Barley, 26, was jailed for 15 months for child cruelty, and Craig Lewis, 32, was sent to prison for eight years for manslaughter after shaking and killing baby Kieron in a fit of temper
The pair admitted the charges at an earlier hearing.
Kieron was aged just 22 months at the time of his death, in June 2011 at a house in Denshaw Road, Kings Heath.
A post mortem examination confirmed that the youngster had suffered two serious injuries in the final weeks of his short life − a spinal fracture some three weeks prior to his death, followed by a serious brain injury in the final days of his life.
Lewis told police that the toddler, who had developmental difficulties, fell forwards when trying to walk, in May 2011. Just three weeks later the child was admitted to hospital after he had stopped breathing while in the bath.
MRI scans later showed serious brain and head injuries, which the court heard, were likely to have been caused by shaking or an assault.
Det Chief Insp Dawn Miskella, from West Midlands Police public protection unit, said: “This was a tragic and deeply upsetting case for all concerned.
“Young Kieron lost his life after Lewis admitted losing his temper on two occasions and assaulting him. Kieron was sadly let down by those who should have been caring for him.
“His mother and her partner spun a web of lies to conceal the truth of how Kieron came by his injuries and failed to seek further medical attention following the initial assault. However, almost three years on from the incidents Louise and Craig have finally admitted their crimes and have been jailed.
“We hope that the result can provide some closure for those who truly did care for young Kieron and are pleased that justice has been done.”
It has also emerged that before the child’s death, doctors at Birmingham Children’s Hospital failed to detect Kieron had a broken back caused by Lewis who threw him to the ground.
The court heard how medics allowed Barley to take Kieron home after she lied about how he was injured, saying she saw him fall over when in fact she was out shopping at the time.
Despite being taken to hospital on two more occasions, doctors failed to spot Kieron’s broken spine and internal injuries and discharged him with possible gastroenteritis. On June 19, 2011, Lewis brutally attacked the child again because he was angry about the messy state of their home in Denshaw Road, Kings Heath, Birmingham.
Lewis dialled 999 claiming the youngster collapsed and he was rushed to hospital with severe bleeding on the brain, but died three days later. Prosecutor Rachel Brand QC told the court Lewis told doctors Kieron had fallen and ‘gone all floppy’ when he first dialled 999 on May 28, 2011.
She said: “Ambulance workers found Kieron agitated and screaming the place down and he was taken to Birmingham Children’s hospital.
“Dr Lewis found he had abrasions of the left shoulder, but found no tenderness and no fracture on an X-ray. He wanted to keep Kieron in overnight but was told by Louise Barley that another sibling was being looked after at home by a relative and that they had to go to work. This was a lie.”
Kieron returned to hospital on both May 29 and 30 after Barley complained that he was screaming and vomiting and was diagnosed with possible gastroenteritis.
Ms Brand added: “Examinations after death found fractures to two vertebrae and a subdural haemorrhage and a retina bleed. The fractures were around four weeks old.”
The role of the hospital in the case will now be subject of a serious case review.
