Mother sentenced to nearly three years for death of son crushed by car seat

Adrian Hoare custody photo

Adrian Hoare Pic: Metropolitan Police

A mother whose three-year-old son was crushed to death has been jailed for almost three years.

Adrian Hoare, 24, from Kent, has been found guilty of putting her son Alfie Lamb into harm’s way by placing him in the footwell of a car. She was sentenced to two years and nine months in prison.

Her boyfriend Stephen Waterson, 25, from Croydon, adopted son of former Government Minister Nigel Waterson, was accused of squashing Alfie by reversing his car seat into him.

The family were on their way back to Croydon after a shopping trip when Hoare allowed Alfie to travel in the footwell of the car as she had many times before. Alfie was taken to hospital after being crushed, where he died three days later.

Following her trial at the Old Bailey, Hoare was found guilty of child cruelty and assaulting Emilie Williams, who was in the car when Alfie was injured.

Mitigating for Hoare, Katy Thorne QC told the court: “Ms Hoare has been hugely affected by Alfie’s death, not least because she feels a huge amount of guilt over it.”

Hoare had also admitted plotting to pervert the course of justice in the wake of her son’s death.

Justice Kerr jailed Hoare for two years for cruelty plus eight months for perverting the course of justice and one month for assault, all consecutive.

He told her: “This is a very sad case. You intended no harm to Alfie.

“You put him in danger by allowing him to travel in the footwell of the car.”

Hoare has agreed to give evidence at Waterson’s retrial for Alfie’s manslaughter in September.

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