Son ‘alone for 2 hours’
A FIVE-year-old boy drowned in a pool after his parents left him unsupervised for two hours, a court heard.
Lynsey Dunn, 28, and Paul Smith, 36, are accused of manslaughter.
A court heard the couple were seen standing by their car as Charlie, who was “terrified” of water, played without armbands.
His body was pulled out of the paddling lake by three boys, aged 10 and 11.
Smith was seen smoking and saying “for f***’s sake, we’re ready to go. I don’t know where he f***ing is”, jurors were told.
Charlie was pronounced dead in hospital after the incident at the Blue Lagoon lake at Bosworth Water Park near Hinckley, Leics, last July.
His parents, of Tamworth, Staffs, went on trial accused of manslaughter by gross negligence at Birmingham Crown Court. ® Smith, Charlie’s stepfather, also denies a charge of attempting to intimidate a witness.
The court heard how the pair showed an “ingrained and entrenched indifference” towards Charlie and two strangers ended up supervising him at different times.
Mary Prior, prosecuting, said: “We know that Charlie could not swim, he did not have any armbands although the family did own some, and at the time he died neither of his parents knew where he was. “This is not a case where Charlie had run off. Charlie had been permitted to go off by himself.
“The prosecution say that Charlie died because he was not supervised by an adult.”
Dunn and Smith have pleaded not guilty. The trial resumes on Monday.