Parents who 'regularly left' their 13-month-old alone in the bath are found GUILTY of manslaughter after he drowned while they burned a UB40 CD
- Wayne Dale and partner Lisa Passey drank beer as Kian Dale sat in a bath upstairs
- Little Kian, aged just 13 months, was found submerged in water after 13 minutes
- Worchester Crown Court heard couple were burning a CD for a friend at the time
- Police rushed to house in Tenbury Wells, Worcs but Kian was pronounced dead
Lisa Passey, 28, is pictured arriving at Worcester Crown Court
A couple whose baby son drowned in the bath while they drank beer are facing jail after being found guilty of manslaughter.
Wayne
Dale, 44, and partner Lisa Passey, 28, left 13-month-old son Kian Dale
in a bath seat while they entertained friends downstairs.
The
couple burned a CD of UB40 for a guest while listening to music,
drinking beer and smoking cigarettes at their home in Tenbury Wells,
Worcs.
Meanwhile, the tot was left on his own after the couple had put him in a baby seat at 5.30pm on September 26, 2015.
When Passey returned 13 minutes later to check on the child she found her son was lifeless in the bath.
A
jury of seven men and five women found the couple guilty of gross
negligence manslaughter after a two-week trial at Worcester Crown Court.
Judge
Robert Juckes, QC, bailed Dale and Passey, who have since split up, and
ordered them to return to court for sentencing on April 25.
The maximum sentence is life in prison.
Giving
evidence last week, Passey told jurors it was a 'regular occurrence' to
leave little Kian alone in the bath, but 'only for a few minutes'
During
the trial, the court Dale burned a CD for Passey's friend Jeanette
Morgan. Evidence showed his laptop had been in use between 5.33pm and
5.46pm.
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When he went back upstairs he found his son submerged in the bath, scooped him out and ran downstairs screaming.
Passey's neighbour Julia Bright told the court: 'Jeanette said to me that a little baby had been drowned, could I come and help.
'I ran down the path to the end house. I went into the house and into the kitchen.
'I saw a little boy on the floor lying on his back - it looked like he was not breathing.
'I also saw a male on his hands next to the boy, I now know that was the little boy's father, Wayne.
The court heard Dale (pictured) burned a CD for Passey's friend as his son drowned
'Also in the house was a female, I now know that was Lisa, the little boy's mum.
'Wayne was doing CPR on the little boy. There was a phone on the floor and I could hear someone giving instructions.
'I knelt down to the boy and started to do mouth to mouth, I think for about a minute.
'The police arrived shortly after and took over.'
Describing
entering the house, special constable Ryan Davis told the court:
'[Passey] seemed to be in quite a sad state of distress.
'She was screaming and crying, hoping we could help.
'I
came to see the father. He was on his knees or lay down giving CPR to
the baby. I believe he was saying: 'Come on my boy', as he was doing the
actions.
'Unfortunately there was no
sign of life. His eyes were glazed over, his eyelids were half open and
he was lay motionless on the floor on his back.
'He
(Dale) was walking around outside the ambulance in a state of distress.
I attempted to calm him, not knowing what else to do or say in the
circumstances.
'He made mention that he was only downstairs for a minute rolling a cigarette and having a beer.
'He
then made mention to burning a CD. I recall I thought it would take
more than a minute to roll a cigarette, have a beer and burn a CD.'
Kian was airlifted to Birmingham Children's Hospital at 6.58pm but was pronounced dead at 8.17pm.
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