Boyfriend accused of crushing child to death with car seat is son of former Tory minister
A MAN accused of fatally crushing a three-year-old boy with an electric car seat is the son of a former government minister, a court heard yesterday.
And Stephen Waterson, 25, allegedly tried to use his father’s status to make himself ‘ untouchable’ as he intimidated other passengers into staying quiet about how his girlfriend’s son had been hurt.
Waterson’s adoptive father Nigel, 68, who studied law at Oxford University and worked as a solicitor before moving into politics, served as a Tory MP for Eastbourne from 1992 to 2010 and was a junior minister in John Major’s government.
Alfie Lamb was crushed in the rear footwell of the Audi A4 convertible when Waterson twice moved his seat back in anger because he was making too much noise, jurors heard.
After arriving back home in Croydon, south London, Alfie suffered a heart attack.
He died in hospital three days later when his life support was switched off.
In the days after Alfie’s death last February, Waterson, a night club worker, threatened Alfie’s mother, his girlfriend Adrian Hoare, 23, and the car’s other passengers to make them stay quiet about what happened, the Old Bailey was told.
Waterson and Hoare both deny manslaughter.
As he gave evidence yesterday, Waterson was accused of telling police investigating Alfie’s death that he had ‘powerful parents’.
Katy Thorne QC, who represents Hoare, said: ‘In that interview you used the fact you have got powerful parents because you like to drop it into conversation all the time. You befriend vulnerable people and you are exerting your will over them, and what you do Mr Waterson is you used the fact that your parents are powerful people to make you untouchable.’
Waterson replied: ‘ I’m not untouchable.’
Miss Thorne went on: ‘You like it to be known your father is a lawyer, don’t you? You would say your father is an important person, not just a lawyer but he used to be a government minister, and you were so powerful because you had these connections.’
Waterson replied: ‘I don’t know why this is relevant and why we are talking about my parents. I’ve never used my parents to control anyone.’
Jurors were told Hoare and Waterson lied repeatedly to cover up the events, telling paramedics they had got into a taxi and put Alfie in a child seat where he fell asleep.
Waterson allegedly later threatened family friend Emilie Williams, 19, who was in the Audi A4, and tried to get her to lie about what happened. He is also said to have threatened and assaulted the driver of the car, Marcus Lamb, 22, while Hoare attacked Williams.
The court has previously been told that Waterson ‘deliberately’ moved his car seat back twice because he was ‘angered at the noise and fuss’ that Alfie was making, despite his cries of ‘Mummy!’. The court was also told that while Alfie was gravely ill in hospital, Waterson sent a string of suggestive text messages to other women.
He denied having sexual relationships with ‘ all of these women’ and insisted that he had been in a state of panic about the boy’s condition.
In the weeks before Alfie died, Hoare moved in with Waterson for a ‘new start’ but did not have a key, jurors heard.
Miss Thorne suggested Hoare was not allowed to have a mobile phone because Waterson was ‘paranoid she would be in touch with other men’.
Hoare denies manslaughter, child cruelty, and common assault. Waterson denies manslaughter and intimidation of Mr Lamb by assault. The couple and Williams have pleaded guilty to conspiring to pervert the course of justice by making false statements.
The trial continues.
‘You had these connections’ ‘Drop it into conversation’