A couple who neglected their son in the months before his death are facing jail time.
Stephen Angell, 44, and Laura Stevenson, 46, subjected Stephen Angell Jr. to harrowing abuse and he was left “exceptionally thin” before he died.
Traces of the class C drug diazepam were found in his milk bottle.
The cause of Stephen’s death could not be determined, but doctors had requested that he be monitored “very closely”, and social work records showed that concerns had been raised about his well-being while he was still alive.
Angell and Stevenson, of East Kilbride, denied any wrongdoing but were found guilty of willfully neglecting Stephen between August and November 2018 following a trial at Hamilton Sheriff Court.
Stephen Angell (right), 44, and Laura Stevenson (left), 46, subjected Stephen Angell Jr. to harrowing abuse and he became “exceptionally thin” before he died.
Laura Stevenson was seen in a yellow jacket smoking a cigarette
The cause of Stephen’s death (pictured) could not be determined, but doctors had requested that he be monitored “very closely”, and social work records showed concerns had been raised about his well-being while he was still alive. .
The court heard the baby was hungry and dirty when examined by medical professionals and there were concerns his parents were not meeting his nutritional needs.
Professor Charlotte Wright said Stephen Jr. was “exceptionally thin” when she examined him.
During one exchange, Stevenson and Angell were advised to increase the amount of baby formula they gave Stephen, but Angell responded, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Dr. Adrienne Sullivan said she examined the baby in October 2018 amid concerns about his lack of weight gain.
He said his hands, feet and armpits were dirty, he had long nails and a body odor that was “unusual.”
She was concerned about nutrition after he gained 100g in three days under medical supervision, but was struggling to gain weight at home.
In evidence, Dr Sullivan said: “Stephen has failed to be provided with adequate nutrition to provide the adequate benefit that would be expected from a bottle-fed child.”
“If you don’t eat enough, then you don’t have enough building blocks to grow, you don’t have enough building blocks for your brain to develop.” I recommended to the health visitor to keep a close eye on him.’
In a report, health visitor Ann-Marie Hamilton also wrote: “He still appears hungry after feeding, but the parents do not seem to respond to this.”
Stevenson also got drunk once and left his son with a “morbidly obese” disabled woman and went to bed, the jury heard.
Stephen Jr. was later discovered soaked in urine in the woman’s arms by her horrified daughter.
Deputy prosecutor John Coogan told the jury that the presence of drugs in a baby bottle summed up the case against the couple.
He said: “The presence of diazepam within the bottle presents a completely convincing picture that baby Stephen was exposed to the risk of ingesting drugs and that in the context of both defendants being told about the importance of a sterile bottle.” .
The court heard the baby was hungry and dirty when examined by medical professionals and there were concerns his parents were not meeting his nutritional needs.
During one exchange, Stevenson and Angell were advised to increase the amount of baby formula they gave Stephen, but Angell responded, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
Defense attorneys claimed that both Angell and Stevenson were being used as scapegoats by healthcare professionals.
George Gebbie, defending Angell, said: “He was desperate for health professionals to give him the right advice and it appears from the evidence that they simply did not want to listen.”
Sheriff Colin Dunipace adjourned sentencing for both defendants until July to submit reports and continue on bail.
Scottish Conservative health spokesperson Dr Sandesh Gulhane said: “The tragic death of Stephen Angell Jr. following months of despicable mistreatment is deeply disturbing.
“Those responsible must now be held accountable for their crimes.”
