Stepdad of boy who died at water park sent to jail

THE stepdad of five-year-old Charlie Dunn has been jailed for seven-and-ahalf years after being found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter, witness intimidation and a driving offence.

Paul Smith, 36, was jailed for five years and two months for Charlie’s manslaughter after the youngster’s death at Bosworth Water Park.

He faces a further two years and four months behind bars for witness intimidation and some driving offences.

Charlie, who couldn’t swim, was found in a 1.4-metre deep lagoon at Bosworth Water Park on July 23, 2016.

Stepfather Paul Smith, who is 36 and from Tamworth, had denied letting the boy wander off alone for more than two hours.

He had denied manslaughter by gross negligence but changed his plea during the trial at Birmingham Crown Court.

Smith also admitted witness intimidation in connection with another incident relating to Charlie, prior to the trial.

High Court judge Mrs Justice Jefford sentenced Smith to five years and two months for Charlie’s manslaughter with a consecutive two-year term for threatening to petrol-bomb the home of a witness and a further four months for driving while disqualified.

Charlie’s mother, Lynsey Dunn, 28, was given an eight-month suspended jail term after admitting neglecting Charlie in a separate incident in 2015 when a neighbour prevented the then four-year-old from driving a toy car on to a main road.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “Smith abandoned his responsibility to keep Charlie safe from harm, with devastating consequences.

“Parents and carers must be aware of the dangers of leaving children unsupervised, particularly in situations like this. It is down to them to assess each scenario and ensure their child is safe.

“We would urge anyone concerned about a child’s welfare to contact the NSPCC helpline, in confidence 24/7, on 0808 800 5000.”