Foster mum who branded tot, 1, ‘n*bhead’ & told hubby: ‘I’ve absolutely leathered him’ is GUILTY of murder
A FOSTER mum who called a baby she was hoping to adopt a “n*bhead” before battering him to death has been found guilty of murder.
Leiland-James Corkhill was placed under the care of Laura Castle, 38, and her husband Scott Castle, 35, just five months before he died.
The 12-month-old suffered catastrophic head injuries at their home in Barrow-in-Furness including a bleed on the brain.
Laura was wept as she was today convicted of murder at Preston Crown Court.
Husband Scott was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.
The mum had already pleaded guilty to manslaughter and admitted she shook him so he would “stop crying”.
The court heard how the baby was a “looked-after child” who was taken into care at birth before he was approved to live with the Castles.
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The move in August 2020 had been approved by Cumbria Children’s Services Department, which was at the centre of the Poppi Worthington scandal.
In November that year, a social worker reported concerns Laura did not love Leiland-James after she called him “lazy” and “big”.
A review took place the next month and the couple were told officials would not support an application for a permanent adoption unless further therapeutic work was undertaken.
But The Castles wanted to plough ahead regardless as Laura’s family loved the boy.
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Ms Hindle added: “My reaction was that in itself is not a good enough reason to adopt a child.
“I was not convinced the adoption would hold.”
A care planning meeting was recommended for the next year.
But in January 2021, Laura called 999 and claimed Leiland-James had fallen from a sofa and injured his head.
He was rushed to hospital in cardiac arrest but sadly never regained consciousness and was declared dead the next day.
Medics at Alder Hey later raised concerns the injuries were not consistent with the account given by Laura.
CHILLING TEXTS
The couple were arrested and their harrowing texts discovered when officers seized their mobile phones.
Laura referred to the baby as a “proper n*bhead”, a “d**k” and a s**t bag” and admitted to “smacking” the child the messages.
In one text she wrote: “I honestly really don’t like him lately, hes an absolute moaning winge bag and I totally regret doin this [sic].
“I’m goin to lose my mind. He just p****s me off all the time, can never just have a nice day or night ever.
“Although I need to stop smacking him cos if I start I’ll not stop at one point and it’s not getting us anywhere and then I feel bad.”
She then messaged the next day: “I’ve just absolutely leathered him, I can(‘t) take this anymore, he’s gonna have to go.”
‘I WANTED HIM TO STOP’
On September 25, Laura messaged her husband saying she had “leathered” Leiland-James again as she was at her “wits end”.
She added: “I’m just an abusive parent so it seems.”
In court, Laura said the baby was “screaming” after breakfast on the morning of January 6 last year.
She told her barrister, David McLachlan QC: “I shook my beautiful boy. I just wanted him to stop crying.”
Laura explained Leiland-James hit his head on the back of the arm of the sofa and fell off her knee to the floor.
She added: “I picked him up. I just couldn’t take the crying. I don’t know who that person is and then it’s like I realised what had happened and I thought he was winded.
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“I picked him up and his hands were like stiff, then he went floppy. He was like gasping and I just though he was winded.”
Laura Castle will be sentenced at a later date.