LAURA CASTLE'S BRUTAL CRIME IN BARROW: BABY'S DEATH SHOCKS CUMBRIA
In July 2022, the legal proceedings surrounding the tragic death of baby Leiland-James Corkill in Barrow reached a significant conclusion when the Attorney General’s Office officially determined that the sentence handed down to Laura Castle was not 'unduly lenient.' Laura Castle, aged 38 at the time, was sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 18 years for the murder of the infant, a case that has sent shockwaves through the community of Barrow and the wider region of Cumbria.Her sentence was initially subject to review under the Unduly Lenient Sentence scheme, which allows the Attorney General’s Office to scrutinize sentences that may be considered too lenient by the public or legal standards.
However, after careful examination, the Office concluded that the sentencing judge did not err in her judgment, and the criteria for a sentence being 'unduly lenient' were not satisfied.
A spokesperson for the Attorney General’s Office clarified that the threshold for such a referral is high, requiring evidence of a gross error or a sentence outside the reasonable range for the offence.
In this case, the decision was made not to refer the case to the Court of Appeal.
Members of the public retain the right to request a review of sentences within 28 days of sentencing, but in this instance, the decision was made that the original sentence was appropriate given the circumstances.
Leiland-James, who was from Whitehaven, had been taken into care shortly after his birth in December 2019.
The couple, Laura and her husband Scott Castle, 35, had been granted custody of the child less than five months before his death, with the intention of adopting him.
The court heard that Laura Castle had initially claimed that Leiland-James had fallen off the sofa, leading to catastrophic head injuries, when she took him to hospital in January 2021.
On the morning of January 6, 2021, Laura called for an ambulance, reporting that the child had fallen, injured his head, and was struggling to breathe.
Despite her account, medical professionals at Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool expressed concerns that the severity of his injuries did not match her story.
Tragically, Leiland-James died the following day, with Laura maintaining to police, family, and friends that his death was an accident while her husband was asleep during the incident.
It was only when the trial commenced in May at Preston Crown Court that Laura Castle pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting that she had shaken the child before he hit his head on the sofa and subsequently on the floor.
The jury, however, convicted her of murder after just two and a half hours of deliberation.
During the trial, evidence emerged of derogatory text messages exchanged between Laura and Scott Castle, revealing a pattern of hostility and abuse directed towards Leiland-James.
Laura referred to the baby with offensive terms such as “proper n** head,” “s*** bag,” and “top t***,” while Scott called him a “d*** baby,” “fat s***,” and “toss bag.” Laura also confessed to physically assaulting the child, stating, “I honestly really don’t like him lately, hes an absolute moaning winge bag and I totally regret doin this.
I’m goin to lose my mind.
He just pisses 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.” Her distress was evident in subsequent messages, where she expressed feelings of frustration and regret, including statements like, “I’ve just absolutely leathered him, I can’t take this anymore, he’s gonna have to go.” Scott Castle responded with attempts to reassure her, saying, “Right OK baby.
He’s really ruined it.
At least we have tried,” and later, “Your not an abusive parent, baby.
Not at all.
Don’t say that.
I think he’s a little too f—– up for us to handle.
Let’s just call it quits.
I don’t want you to have a mental break down.
Your more important to me than him.” In addition to the murder conviction, Laura Castle received a sentence of 21 months for child cruelty, to be served concurrently with her life sentence, and she will be ineligible for parole for 17 years.
The case also involved the testimony of Charlotte Day, the foster mother who cared for Leiland-James during his first eight months, describing him as a “content” and “happy boy” who enjoyed playing and being cuddled.
The court heard that social services were aware of the couple’s struggles to bond with Leiland-James but had found no immediate safety concerns, as no suspicious bruises or marks were observed.
Nevertheless, the tragic outcome prompted an independent review by Cumbria County Council, with a report expected in July.
The case has highlighted serious concerns about the oversight and safeguarding of vulnerable children in care, especially in cases involving adoptive families.
Joanna Close, senior crown prosecutor with CPS North West, criticized Laura Castle’s character, describing her as “self-centred, abusive and violent,” and emphasized that she was unfit to provide a safe home for a child.
The death of Leiland-James remains a stark reminder of the devastating consequences of neglect and abuse within the care system in Barrow and across Cumbria.
