A monster killed my baby boy

Laura Corkill’s letter to the judge

“He was placed in the home of a monster. A monster that was meant to love, nurture and cherish him as I would have done. A monster that robbed Leilandjames at only 12 months old of his life; robbed me, his brother, sisters and my family of one day opening the door to the wonderful young man that I know he would have become.

“Leiland-james was ripped from my loving arms, but I was always his mammy.

“I carried him within my body for nine months, with every beat of my heart full of love, full of pride, full of promise. My beautiful blue-eyed baby, love saw his first breath, evil took his last breath here on earth. Mammy was not ready to say goodbye, I will never be ready to say goodbye.

“I carry Leiland-james forever in my heart. I hear his cheeky laughter in the wind that blows, see his beautiful smile in the memories ingrained within my soul, his photos on every wall. I have footprints and handprints and a memory box, but all I want is to hold him.

“I was told he would be safe and he would have a good life. I was fine with that. Now my life is broken.”

Addressing Castle directly, Ms Corkill added: “The monster has said that she wants ‘her boy to have justice’. He was not and never will be your baby boy. You lost that right the first second it went through your head to hurt him.

“He was a precious baby, vulnerable and innocent; he had no voice, he could not defend himself. The names you called him and the hurt you caused him, the fact that you blamed him for your disgusting behaviour and treatment of him, Leiland-james was a baby! A tiny baby! Shame! Shame on you. You are not a mother, you are a monster.”