15 Years for Nottinghamshire child manslaughter

A woman from Jacksdale in north Nottinghamshire has been jailed for 15 years for the manslaughter of a child in her care.

Leila Borrington assaulted Harvey Borrington, her partner’s son, whilst she was looking after him and his siblings while their father was at work in August 2021. Harvey Borrington was found by emergency services unconscious and unresponsive and later died at King’s Mill Hospital from severe head injuries.

Leila Borrington was the only adult with Harvey when he collapsed. Instead of calling the emergency services immediately, she filmed Harvey motionless and sent the clip to his father asking what to do.

Borrington told emergency services that Harvey had fallen from the sofa immediately before he collapsed, but medical staff raised concerns about the severity of Harvey’s injuries, so an investigation into his death began.

The investigation revealed a series of incidents of violence towards Harvey, and concerns raised by family members about what was happening when he was in the care of Leila Borrington. This culminated in an assault to his head, which caused his fatal collapse. Borrington was charged with assault and murder, with manslaughter as an alternative count.

Following a three-month trial, Borrington was found guilty of manslaughter, as well as inflicting grievous bodily harm and assault occasioning actual bodily harm. She was today (16 March 2023) sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.

Dona Parry-Jones said: “Harvey Borrington died at the hands of someone who should have been there to care for him and nurture him. The main focus of this trial was presenting evidence to prove that Leila Borrington was responsible for Harvey’s injuries and that those injuries were not caused accidentally.  

“The jury decided that Leila Borrington did indeed assault Harvey and, while she did not intend to kill him or cause serious harm, her actions were the direct cause of his death. She has now been held accountable for what she did.

“This has been an incredibly difficult period for Harvey’s family. My thoughts and sympathies are with them.”