Overview
- A jury convicted Natasha Birks of child cruelty by neglect after five-month-old Rhian was found unresponsive on November 2, 2021 and later pronounced dead, with the medical cause recorded as Sudden Infant Death Syndrome.
- Judge Graeme Smith imposed an 18‑month prison term suspended for 12 months, with a 20‑day rehabilitation activity requirement and a £250 fine.
- Court submissions said Birks and a friend drank a bottle of vodka the night before while the baby slept, and police later noted the smell of alcohol with an estimate that she was about 2.5 times the drink‑drive limit at 9am.
- Prosecutors argued neglect stemmed from placing Rhian on a small sofa between two adults and failing to adequately check on her despite several opportunities to move her to a cot.
- Mitigation highlighted Birks' lack of prior convictions, long work history as a carer, profound personal loss following her father's death in 2024, ongoing mental‑health treatment and expressed remorse.