A foster mum who killed a baby she was hoping to adopt has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years.
Evil Laura Castle was found guilty of murdering 13-month-old Leiland-James Corkill last week after a court heard she had 'leathered' the child who suffered fatal head injuries.
The toddler had been placed in the care of 38-year-old Laura Castle and her husband, Scott Castle, 35, in August 2020.
But five months later, on January 6, 2021, paramedics found the tot unresponsive and floppy when they attended the couple’s home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria.
Leiland-James died the following day after doctors found that his heart wasn’t beating and he had a head injury, which Castle said he sustained by falling from a sofa.
But the court heard how she had then searched online for what might cause a bleed on the brain while the tot lay in hospital, as her story began to unravel.
A video filmed in what appears to be a hospital room captures the sound of an unidentified child sobbing before Castle turns the camera on herself and pulls a silly face.
In other clips that emerged during the trial, Leiland-James sobs uncontrollably as Castle attempts to "shush" him, while in further footage, she wipes away his tears as he sits in a baby bouncer.
A post-mortem confirmed that the tot had suffered a traumatic head injury, which wasn’t caused by accident.
During her trial at Preston Crown Court, the foster mum pleaded guilty to manslaughter, after admitting that she shook the baby so that he was “stop crying.”
But texts shared between Laura Castle and her husband revealed that she had referred to Leiland-James as a “proper k**bhead", a "d**k" and a s**t bag".
She also admitted to "smacking" the child in the messages.
In one text she wrote: "I honestly really don't like him lately, he's an absolute moaning whinge bag and I totally regret doin this [sic].
"I'm going to lose my mind. He just p****s me off all the time, can never just have a nice day or night ever.
"Although I need to stop smacking him cos if I start I'll not stop at one point and it's not getting us anywhere and then I feel bad."
The court also heard that a social worker had reported concerns about the foster mum after she had branded the baby “lazy” and “big”.
A review then took place where officials told the couple they would not support permanently placing Leiland-James with them unless they undertook therapeutic work.
But the court heard the couple instead ploughed ahead with the adoption proceedings.
The couple exchanged further texts on September 25, 2020, with Laura telling her husband she had "leathered" Leiland-James again as she was at her "wits end".
She added: "I'm just an abusive parent so it seems."
A jury later found Castle guilty of murdering Leiland-James, with a judge set to determine her sentence at a later date, while Scott Castle was acquitted.
And following the verdict, Joanne Close, Senior Crown Prosecutor with CPS North, called former foster mum “self-centred, abusive and violent”.
She said: “His birth mother believed he would be safe and have a good life.
“His foster parents cared for and loved him for eight months; they described him as a beautiful little boy with the most contagious laugh.
“But his life was cruelly cut short by the actions of Laura Castle; she was self-centred, abusive and violent and unfit to provide a home to this vulnerable child."
The Honourable Mr Justice Jeremy Baker sentenced Castle to life with a minimum term of 18 years behind bars.
During sentencing he said: "Precisely what happened on the morning of January 6 is not known, however its clear your husband had been working the night before. When he came in nothing was disturbed and everyone was asleep. You describe an uneventful morning.
"You made breakfast of Weetabix and took Leiland-James into the sitting room to give him his bottle.
"While feeding him he was crying and as a result you shook Leiland-James, his head banged against the arm of the sofa, you stood up and he fell on the floor.
"Given what the medical experts said about the level of the injuries to Leiland-James, particularly to his eyes, brain and spine, I consider your account significantly underplays the force you used.
"Some of the external injuries are consistent with slapping and pinching."
He went on: "The experts say all the injuries could have been caused in a relatively short period of time. After inflicting these injures you deliberately lied to everyone, doctors, paramedics, social workers.
"When police told you the medical evidence did not square with your own account, you embellished your version by saying you stood up.
"It was only on the first day of the trial you admitted causing the injuries.
"There were additional injuries caused to him being the shaking which caused the damage to his brain, which reflect longer term cruelty.
"These injures were deliberately carried out by you by deliberately slapping or pinching him. Injuries to his tonsils were caused by you deliberately ramming a bottle into his mouth."
