Croydon toddler killer sentenced to seven years in prison

Alfie Lamb died from asphyxiation. Pic: Lamb Family

The son of a former Government minister who was found guilty of killing a toddler has been sentence to seven years and six months in prison.

Stephen Waterson, 26, a nightclub worker, crushed his girlfriend’s three-year-old son to death with the seat of a car, in February last year.

“He had the best smile, he was always smiling” was the description of the toddler by his aunt, Ashley Jeffrey.

Detective Chief Inspector Simon Harding of Scotland Yard branded the defendant as “arrogant, selfish and deeply unpleasant” and told the Guardian that justice had been finally served for Alfie.

Waterson had tried to make himself untouchable by police by name-dropping his father, Nigel Waterson, a former government minister, during earlier proceedings.

Stephen Waterson was sentenced today Pic: Metropolitan Police

Angel Moriarty, prosecuting, described what happened as a “cruel and heartless act against a defenceless young child”.

The court heard the defendant had gone shopping in Sutton, in company of his girlfriend, Adrian Hoare, 24, from Gravesend in Kent and her son, Alfie Lamb.

On May 30 this year, Alfie’s mother was sentenced to two years and nine months of jail for child cruelty, common assault of a witness and conspiracy to hinder the course of justice.

On February 1, 2018, Alfie was sitting in the footwell of Waterson’s Audi for the journey back to Croydon. The defendant became annoyed at Alfie’s crying and moved his front passenger seat into the toddler.

Alfie’s stepbrother, Marcus Lamb, 22, who was driving the car, described how Alfie screamed but was told to shut up.

When the defendant realized the toddler was not breathing “he started bawling out tears, saying ‘what have I done’”, added Marcus.

As they reached their destination, the boy had stopped breathing. Despite the medic’s desperate intervention, Alfie died from crush asphyxia three days later.

Moriarty said that Waterson demonstrated a “blatant disregard” for Alfie’s life.

Hoare lied to the police as an attempt to cover up Waterson’s role in her son’s death.

Hoare’s friend who was present at the time of the death admitted that a “combination of loyalty to Hoare” and fear of Waterson made her lie.

Waterson assaulted Marcus Lamb and held him to the ground to intimidate him out of speaking to police.

Waterson, also sold the car where Alfie died, later seized by police on February 16. He told the new owner to lie about the previous owner, according to the prosecution.

“You would have concealed the truth forever, if you could”, said Justice Kerr.

Waterson entered a guilty plea earlier this year to conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.

The judge described Waterson’s character as split between “devoted and loving” for the good bond the defendant was said to have with Alfie, but also “manipulative, controlling, deceitful and sometimes violent”.

Waterson’s lawyer described his good character’s side: “He has taken various courses to improve himself. This matter arose because of his lack of responsibility and parenting skills of a three-year-old.”

Waterson was adopted by a former politician , Nigel Christopher Waterson, 69, Conservative MP for Eastbourne between 1992 and 2010.

One Response

  1. Daniel Kelly November 16, 2019

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