Sebastian Kalinowski: Mother pleads guilty to child cruelty in murder trial

A mother who is standing trial accused of murdering her teenage son has pleaded guilty to child cruelty.

Agnieszka Kalinowska is charged, along with her partner Andrezej Latoszewski, of murdering her son Sebastian Kalinowski, 15, at their home in Leeds Road, Huddersfield.

Both deny the charge. They had also initially denied a number of other charges, including manslaughter and child cruelty.

On the second day of the trial, Latoszewski changed his plea on the manslaughter charge to guilty – a charge Kalinowska still denies.

Today, Thursday, 16 June, both defendants pleaded guilty to child cruelty.

The jury at Leeds Crown Court has heard how Sebastian, who was originally from Poland, died in August last year from complications caused by multiple untreated rib fractures sustained over a number of weeks or months.

The prosecution say the injuries were caused by repeated, violent beatings used by the couple to punish Sebastian.

Some of the incidents were captured on CCTV cameras installed in the house as a way of controlling Sebastian, the prosecution say.

Footage played in court is said to show Sebastian being hit with a bed slat and whipped with an extension cable as he performed exercise "drills".

Among the injuries uncovered after his death were bruising to his buttocks, forehead, jaw, abdomen and his arms and legs, and multiple rib fractures of varying ages.

On the opening day of the trial, prosecutor Jason Pitter QC said it was "no exaggeration" to describe Sebastian's treatment as "torture".

Kalinowska and Latoszewski deny murder and the trial continues.

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