A 14-month-old toddler tragically passed away at a daycare facility after being suffocated while being put to sleep. The incident took place at Fairytales Day Nursery in Bourne Street on December 9, 2022. The child, Noah Sibanda, was tightly wrapped in a sleeping bag and physically restrained face down on a cushion with a blanket covering his face, while a nursery worker placed her leg over him in an attempt to make him sleep. This unsafe sleeping practice restricted his breathing and movement, leading to his untimely death.
Following the incident, Fairytales Day Nursery Limited, which has since been closed, pleaded guilty to corporate manslaughter and a Health and Safety at Work Act offense. Additionally, two staff members admitted their involvement in the child’s death. Director and business owner Deborah Latewood acknowledged a Health and Safety at Work Act offense, stating that she was unaware of the dangerous sleeping practices but should have been informed. Nursery worker Kimberley Cookson previously pleaded guilty to gross negligence manslaughter for her role in Noah’s sleep ordeal.
The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) reported that Noah was physically restrained face down with a blanket over his face and held in place by Cookson, resulting in his tragic death. CCTV footage from the nursery captured the incident, showing the child’s improper sleeping arrangement. Despite efforts to make him sleep, Noah eventually stopped breathing, and emergency services were called, but he was pronounced dead upon arrival at the hospital.