CHILDMINDER JAILED FOR BABY'S BATH DEATH
A drunk childminder who let an 18-month-old baby boy drown in a bath while in her care was jailed for three years yesterday.Wendy Barlow, of Sabden, Lancashire, admitted that she had a drink problem before she became a registered childcarer, Preston crown court heard.
Barlow, 37, was jailed for the manslaughter of Joshua Massey-Hodgkinson on April 17 last year and banned for life from working with children.
The court heard that Barlow, who has three children, had been registered as a childminder by Ofsted in June 2003, despite admitting to a health visitor that she was a "binge drinker".
Joshua, from Clitheroe, Lancashire, died by drowning while in the bath with Barlow, who had drunk more than two bottles of wine.
Joshua was staying with Barlow while his mother Emma Massey went out for the night.
Sometime after 1am Barlow ran a bath, added oil and lit candles.
Twenty minutes later Joshua, who had been sleeping on the sofa, entered the bathroom and she took off his pyjamas and nappy and lifted him into the water, the jury was told.
He slipped under the water and Barlow struggled to pull him out.
She finally managed to get a grip on him, but he slipped again and banged his head on the side of the bath before falling under a second time.
Experts said he was under the water for between 30 seconds and two minutes.
