My son died alone, scared, and in pain

This account includes challenging details. The mother of a 14-month-old boy who passed away after being restrained and positioned face down at a nursery has shared that in his final moments, he felt “alone, scared, and in pain.”

A tragic loss and lingering guilt

Noah Sibanda, who died on 9 December 2022 at the now-closed Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, left his mother, Masi Sibanda, deeply affected. In her victim impact statement, she expressed, “Since his death, there has not been a single day I haven’t regretted being alive when he is not.” Her guilt stems from entrusting her child to caregivers who she believes caused his death.

“My guilt comes from knowing I handed him over to people who killed him.”

The nursery, its owner Deborah Latewood, and a staff member Kimberley Cookson are set to face sentencing at Wolverhampton Crown Court, with proceedings continuing on Friday. Cookson, 23, is charged with gross negligence manslaughter, while Latewood, 55, faces a health and safety offense. The nursery itself will be sentenced for corporate manslaughter and a health and safety breach.

The events leading to Noah’s death

On the day of the incident, Noah was tightly wrapped in blankets and placed face down inside a “sleeping pod”—a structure meant for outdoor camping, not infant care. The goal was to encourage him to nap, but he resisted. A blanket was then covered over his head to reduce light, a routine practice at the nursery. However, Cookson was described as “rough” with the child, and the court footage showed Noah “struggling and thrashing” before she positioned her left leg across his back for seven minutes.

After believing Noah had fallen asleep, Cookson left him unattended. Staff members reportedly ignored his condition for two hours. It wasn’t until 15:13 that she noticed he was unresponsive and moved him to the nappy-changing area. Emergency services were called at 15:17, with some staff visibly distressed. By 15:52, Noah was transported to hospital and pronounced dead at 16:15.

A mother’s reflection and unanswered questions

Masi described her son as a “confident, kind, and gentle” child. She admitted her “naive trust” in the nursery but now carries lifelong guilt. “Behind closed doors, they were playing Russian roulette with our children,” she said. She also questioned whether Noah’s treatment was influenced by his skin color or personal biases against his family.

“He was treated as a felon, a danger, as if he was in jail.”

She added, “I can’t forgive myself and cannot forgive the defendants,” emphasizing that no sentence could fully compensate for the pain and loss they endured. Cookson, in her statement, confessed, “I could not explain why I behaved so harshly that day. I did not know why I had not checked on him,” calling her actions “unexcusable.”

Cookson claimed she had learned to swaddle babies on the job without formal training. “I only hope they hold it in their hearts to forgive me,” she said, acknowledging the “pain the family is going through.” Her legal representative noted, “She herself says she deserves to be punished.”

The nursery’s accountability

The nursery expressed regret over Noah’s death, stating it should never have occurred. Dominic Kay, KC for the nursery, argued that senior management’s decisions constituted a “gross breach of care.” He highlighted that the lack of training among staff was a critical factor in the tragedy.