UK mom jailed to 15 years for starving four-year-old son

Image
Press Trust of India London
Last Updated : Oct 04 2013 | 6:41 PM IST
An alcoholic mother of eight, who starved her four-year-old son to death and left his mummified body in a cot for two years, was today jailed for 15 years.
Amanda Hutton, 43, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Hamzah at Bradford Crown Court yesterday. She was sentenced today for manslaughter, child neglect and preventing the burial of her dead son's body.
Hamzah died in December 2009 due to severe malnutrition. His mummified remains were found in squalid conditions at their Bradford family home 21 months later.
The judge said Hutton posed a "real danger" to children, adding that she had shown a "terrible failure to fulfil the most basic responsibility; in short you starved Hamzah to death".
Roger Thomas, the Recorder of Bradford, also noted how Hutton had kept the death of her son secret saying: "Your deviousness was to keep various agencies away from you and your children.
"Your wicked conduct has been displayed in such awful detail," the BBC reported.
Hamzah's body was found in a cot in Hutton's Bradford bedroom in September 2011, amid scenes of utter squalor. Five other school-age children were found amid the debris.
The court heard that the four-year-old died in December 2009 due to malnutrition as a result of his mother's alcoholism and neglect.
The boy's body was found after an inexperienced police community support officer became concerned about children at the house while she was investigating reports of soiled nappies being thrown into a neighbour's garden.
Officers who later found Hamzah were also faced with an overwhelming smell coming from ankle-deep rubbish in the house, including vodka bottles and rotting food.
Hutton's eldest son, Tariq Khan, 24, also admitted preventing Hamzah's burial and received a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Hutton showed no emotion as she was led from the dock, the report said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Oct 04 2013 | 6:41 PM IST

Next Story