Stoke-on-Trent parents convicted of neglecting baby before death

The parents of seven-week-old Ronnie were found to have caused him suffering (generic image)

A mother and father have been found guilty of neglecting their seven-week-old baby before his death.

Ronnie Higginson died in hospital after becoming ill at home in Cobridge, Stoke-on-Trent, in 2019.

Despite being "noticeably unwell", Staffordshire Police said Kayleigh Clarke and Michael Higginson did not seek medical attention for him.

They were convicted of three counts of cruelty to a person under 16 at Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court on Friday.

The force said from 22 November 2019, Ronnie had become congested and was struggling to breathe but his parents failed to seek medical care despite being advised to do so by a number of people.

Ronnie died shortly after emergency services were called to the Derwent Street property at about 21:00 GMT on 26 November.

Ronnie had suffered a cardiac arrest at the house on Derwent Street

While his parents were not found to be responsible for his death, the court heard the failures of Clarke and Higginson were likely to have caused Ronnie unnecessary suffering.

"This was a truly tragic case in which a seven-week-old baby boy died in the care of two people who should have been there to protect him," said Det Ch Insp Cheryl Hannan.

Clarke, 32, and Higginson, 52, are due to be sentenced at a date yet to be set.