A woman has been jailed after the death of a child in her care.
Catherine Walker, aged 47, was the legal guardian of a nine-year-old boy who was found unresponsive in his bedroom.
Emergency services were called to the property in Warsop on the morning of 16 December 2024.
Despite the best efforts of paramedics and members of the public on the scene, the boy died later in hospital.
Officers investigating what happened immediately raised concerns about the conditions in the boy’s bedroom, which lacked any of the comforts seen elsewhere in the house.
There were no blinds or curtains in the window, and an electric socket was hanging dangerously off the wall.
The bedroom, which had very little furniture and no radiator, also had no door handle and was fitted with a bathroom-style door lock on the outside.
An investigation into the child’s lived experience and care was immediately commenced.
Walker, a member of staff at Nottinghamshire Police, claimed that renovations to the room had been taking place at the time of the incident.
Further investigation, however, revealed this to be untrue.
Officers also received evidence from other witnesses that showed clear mistreatment of the boy over a prolonged period of time.
Walker, of Warsop, later pleaded guilty to two counts of assault/ill-treat/neglect/abandon a child/young person to cause unnecessary suffering/injury.
Both charges related to the same child.
At her sentencing hearing at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday, Catherine Walker – also known as Kathryn – was jailed for six years.
In mitigation, it was said that Walker’s former husband, who died shortly after the incident, was the boy’s primary carer and had been mainly responsible for his treatment.
In sentencing, Judge Stuart Rafferty KC said Walker had deliberately concealed and covered up the ‘gratuitous degradation’ of the boy, adding that she had effectively sentenced herself to ‘a life of shame.’
Detective Chief Inspector Gail Routledge, of Nottinghamshire Police, said:
“This was one of the most upsetting cases I can remember. This boy was very clearly mistreated for a significant period of time and was living in conditions that no child should have to endure.
“It was always our case that this mistreatment was a deliberate choice by the defendant, rather than the result of neglectful parenting.
“I am pleased she has now been held to account for her role in his death.”
At the time of the offence Walker was a member of staff at Nottinghamshire Police. She was suspended throughout the investigation.
