Eye expert cleared over death of 8-year-old boy

AN optometrist has been cleared on appeal of killing a boy by failing to spot a life- threatening brain condition.

Honey Rose, 35, was found guilty of gross negligence manslaughter after eight- year- old Vincent Barker died in July 2012.

During her trial, Ipswich Crown Court heard that mother-of-three Rose, of East Ham, east London, failed to notice the child had swollen optic discs, a symptom of fluid on the brain, when she examined him five months before he died. She was sentenced to a two-year suspended prison term last year, thought to be the first time an optometrist was convicted of gross negligence manslaughter.

Quashing the verdict at the Court of Appeal, Sir Brian Leveson said her ‘breach of duty’ did not constitute manslaughter.

Yesterday Vincent’s parents, Joanne and Ian Barker, said: ‘We remain in no doubt that if Honey Rose had not breached her duty of care to our son, he would still be with us today.’