Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Mum’s boyfriend ‘kills son, 3, with electric car seat’
Lad crushed to death ‘for being noisy’
A TODDLER suffocated after his mum’s boyfriend crushed him with an electric car seat for being noisy, a court heard.
Stephen Waterson, 25, was in the front passenger seat and allegedly pushed it back on Alfie Lamb twice in anger over the “noise and fuss” he was making.
The three-year-old cried out “Mummy” in the rear footwell and made a choking noise, the court was told.
Mum Adrian Hoare, 23, who was sat behind Alfie, is charged with manslaughter alongside Waterson. Driver Marcus Lamb, 22, and Emilie Williams, 19, also in the car, will give evidence.
Prosecutor Duncan Atkinson QC said Alfie died from crush asphyxia in February last year.
He said: “It was caused by the passenger seat, Waterson’s seat, being moved further into the rear passenger-side footwell.
DELIBERATE
“In effect, he was squashed by the car seat and suffocated.
“This was a deliberate action by Waterson who knew Alfie was there and was angered by the noise and fuss [he made].”
Medics and police were called in Croydon, South London, and Waterson and Hoare allegedly lied about what happened.
Mr Atkinson said it was obvious Alfie had been dead for some time and CCTV showed all of them travelling in an Audi.
Hoare allegedly told medics: “We got in a taxi. He fell asleep. We tried to wake him and found him unresponsive.” She said the driver “kicked us out” and left.
Mr Atkinson said it was “only the beginning of the lies”. Hoare and Waterson have also since attacked Miss Williams and Mr Lamb respectively, he added.
Hoare denies manslaughter, child cruelty and common assault. Waterson denies manslaughter and intimidating Mr Lamb. The couple, of Croydon, and Williams admit conspiring to pervert justice.
The Old Bailey trial continues.