Nursery Fined, Staff Member Jailed Over Death Of Toddler Restrained During Nap Time

Nursery Fined, Staff Member Jailed Over Death Of Toddler Restrained During Nap Time A nursery has been fined and a staff member jailed after a 14-month-old boy died when he was forcibly restrained during nap time in a tragic case that exposed unsafe sleep practices in a UK childcare facility. he incident involved Noah Sibanda, a toddler who died in December 2022 at Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, West Midlands, after being subjected to dangerous restraint techniques while staff attempted to make him sleep. Court proceedings revealed that nursery practitioner Kimberley Cookson, 23, restrained the child by wrapping him tightly in a sleeping bag, placing a blanket over his head, and laying him face down on a cushion. Prosecutors said Cookson also used her leg to hold the toddler in place for several minutes, in what was described as an attempt to force him to sleep despite his resistance. Noah was left in this position for an extended period before staff realised he was not breathing. Emergency services were called, but the child was later pronounced dead in hospital. Cookson has since been jailed for gross negligence manslaughter following her guilty plea over her role in the incident.

The nursery, Fairytales Day Nursery Limited, also admitted corporate manslaughter and breaches of health and safety regulations connected to the unsafe practices that led to the child’s death. Court hearings heard that such dangerous sleeping practices were not isolated and had formed part of a wider pattern of inadequate safeguarding at the facility. Investigators said CCTV footage captured the events leading up to Noah’s death, providing key evidence in the prosecution case. The nursery director, Deborah Latewood, also admitted to a health and safety offence, acknowledging failures in oversight and safeguarding responsibilities within the organisation. Authorities said the case represented a severe breach of duty of care, highlighting how systemic failures and unsafe practices contributed directly to the child’s death. The nursery has since been shut down, while sentencing proceedings for those involved have been concluded or scheduled depending on individual roles in the case. Officials stressed that children in childcare settings must be protected at all times, and that the case underscores the consequences of ignoring basic safety standards.