A monster who murdered a one-year-old baby she wanted to adopt has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years.
Laura Castle was found guilty of murdering 13-month-old Leiland-James Corkill last week after a court was told she had 'leathered' the child who suffered fatal head injuries. The toddler had been placed in the care of 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 Laura Castle said he sustained by falling from a sofa.
READ MORE: guilty of murdering 13-month-old
But the court was told 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. And later a post-mortem finding confirmed that he 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 n*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 winge bag and I totally regret doin this [sic].
"I'm goin 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 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 Laura Castle guilty of murdering Leiland-James, with a judge set to determine her sentence at a later date, while Scott Castle was acquitted.
Laura Castle wept uncontrollably in the dock as the jury heard she would be "forever remembered as a baby killer with all the stigma attached to the term".
Castle was sentenced to life in prison on Wednesday (May 25) and must serve a minimum term of 18 years.
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