MOTHER CONVICTED OF CHILD CRUELTY AFTER BABY DIES WHILE SHE DRINKS VODKA
A woman has been found guilty of child cruelty after her five-month-old daughter died.Natasha Birks, aged 37, was the child's carer and was celebrating her birthday at the time of the incident.
Court details showed Birks drinking large amounts of vodka mixed with orange juice and Irish cream liqueur in a different room while her infant, Rhian, was sleeping on a sofa.
She did not check on her daughter, who was later discovered dead on November 1, 2021, displaying signs of rigor mortis, suggesting she had been dead for some time.
Witnesses reported that Birks was drinking and smoking with a friend nearby, paying only brief attention to her child from a doorway rather than checking her properly.
When Rhian did not wake for her usual feeding time between 4.30am and 6.30am, Birks failed to notice her worsening condition.
Emergency responders confirmed Rhian had been deceased for a period when they arrived.
Birks was convicted of child cruelty on September 17 at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court.
Elaine Radway of the Crown Prosecution Service commented, 'Natasha Birks chose to consume large quantities of alcohol while responsible for her five-month-old.
Although she did not cause her child's death nor foretell the tragic outcome, her drunken state meant she was unable to supervise her daughter adequately.
The law requires parents to ensure their children's safety and wellbeing; neglecting this duty can lead to severe legal consequences, as demonstrated in this case.' Birks’s sentencing is scheduled for December 18.
