Suspended sentence for woman whose toddler was murdered by her boyfriend

A woman whose two-year-old son was murdered by her boyfriend has been spared jail after being found guilty of cruelty.

Ashleigh Willett, 25, was convicted of cruelty to Teddy Tilston, who was found unresponsive by paramedics at the family home in Birkenhead, Wirral, in March, and also to his twin sister Cassidy.

The jury found Willett failed to seek medical attention for the children, who were discovered to have a catalogue of injuries.

She was given a 12-month sentence, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete a 28-day rehabilitation requirement, in a hearing at Liverpool Crown Court on Monday.

Her partner Craig Smith, 28, was found guilty of Teddy's murder and of causing actual bodily harm to Cassidy, as well as cruelty to both children. He was jailed for a minimum of 17 years last month.

Sentencing Willett, Judge Mr Justice Garnham said:

The court heard Willett had lost custody of Cassidy and her older daughter Darcie following Teddy's death.

John Benson QC, defending, said:

Willett was not at home on March 1 when Smith rang paramedics to say he had found the boy unconscious in the bath.

A post-mortem showed Teddy had an internal tear to his abdomen as well as a bleed on the brain likely to have been caused a week before his death, and bruises to his head, ear, upper lip, neck, jaw, abdomen and back.

Earlier in the day, Willett had returned home from work as a barber to take Cassidy to hospital after Smith called her to say she had knocked herself unconscious by running into a table.

When nurses at the hospital examined Cassidy they also found she had a fractured wrist which she may have suffered up to six months earlier as well as a catalogue of bruises.