A woman who fatally struck her stepson and filmed him as he lay dying has been jailed for 15 years.
Leila Borrington, 23, of Jacksdale, Nottinghamshire, was sentenced on Thursday morning after she was cleared of Harvey Borrington's murder but found guilty of unlawful killing, wounding and assault last month.
A long-running trial was told that her stepson Harvey, who had non-verbal autism, suffered a broken arm before sustaining a fatal head injury in August 2012.
Nottingham crown court heard on Thursday that, rather than seeking immediate medical help, Borrington filmed Harvey on the floor despite having two qualifications in first aid.
She didn't call an ambulance for five minutes, the court was told, and texted the youngster's dad who was out at the cinema at the time moaning, "why does this happen to me?"
Evidence from authorities and medical professionals throughout the trial detailed how Borrington failed to protect Harvey, and had struck him several times.
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC described Borrington's attack on Harvey as a "sustained assault", ultimately causing him a fractured skull and a bleed on his brain, before "calculating how she could escape responsibility for her actions while Harvey was fighting for his life".
"This cannot be described as a momentary lapse - it must be a sustained assault to explain the pattern and number of injuries to the head," said Mr Hankin.
She had previous history of causing him harm, and the court heard she had taken advantage of the fact his non-verbal autism meant he couldn't properly express pain.
Harvey was rushed to King's Mill Hospital in Sutton-In-Ashfield on August 2021, and transferred to Nottingham's Queen's Medical Centre, where he died two days later as a result of serious head injuries.
In a heart-wrenching victim impact statement, Harvey's mum described him as a "beautiful little boy" whose grandparents had lovingly nicknamed their "little man".
Addressing the court, Katie Holdroyd said: "Harvey's life was cruelly ended when he was only three years old, killed by the very person who was trusted to care for him and protect him.
"To this day I cannot bear to think of him lying on that floor dying with her filming him and delaying getting medical help for him."
Borrington had claimed Harvey "fell backwards" off a one-seater leather sofa at home, causing the fatal brain bleed.
Harvey, who spent most weekends with Borrington, died in hospital on August 9, two days after paramedics were called and found him "deeply unconscious", "unresponsive" and with "abnormal body posture".
Borrington's trial was shown footage, filmed by her moments after Harvey's collapse as he was lying on his side.
In the video - shot on Borrington's phone and sent to Harvey's father - she was recorded taking the boy's left arm, lifting it up and letting it drop loosely to the floor, before continuing to film as he lay unmoving on a living-room rug.
Prosecutor Jonas Hankin KC said the defendant's behaviour was very unusual in the circumstances, did not appear to be an attempt to rouse him and suggested an absence of compassion.
"The lifting and dropping of his arm in that way, similarly, appears to show indifference to the obvious severity of his condition," Mr Hankin told jurors.
Mr Hankin also claimed that Borrington targeted Harvey, who communicated through hand gestures and a handful of words, because he was unable to articulate when he was in pain.
Jailing Borrington, judge Mr Justice Nicklin said her behaviour and response to Harvey collapsing showed a "shocking lack of care and concern".
Passing sentence, Mr Justice Nicklin told Borrington: "You were 21 when the first offence was committed and 22 when you assaulted and killed Harvey."
The "history" of the use of violence against Harvey was an aggravating factor in the offence of manslaughter, the judge said, adding that the cause of the youngster's death "must have been a sustained violent assault".
The judge also said text messages sent by Borrington, and her immediate response after Harvey was fatally assaulted, had shown a "shocking lack of care and concern".
He told Borrington: "During the trial we saw video footage of Harvey playing with his toys and placing items into the dishwasher.
"Within less than 30 minutes, further video footage showed Harvey unconscious on the living room floor.
"Precisely what happened to Harvey only you know."
Borrington was jailed for 15 years in prison for manslaughter, two years for causing GBH with intent and six months concurrent on the assault causing bodily harm offence.
