A Dudley nursery practitioner has admitted to manslaughter after a 14-month-old boy died in her care. Kimberley Cookson, 22, pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of Noah Sibanda, who lost his life after an incident occurred at Fairytales Day Nursery in Dudley, West Midlands, on 9 December 2022. The toddler, who had not yet learned how to walk, was rushed to the hospital following the incident, but did not survive.

Nursery owner and director, Deborah Latewood, 54, also appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court alongside Cookson. Latewood and her company were accused of failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act, which would have prevented Noah and other children from being exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9, 2022. However, Latewood denied the charges and pleaded not guilty. The accusation also includes failure to put children down to sleep safely in the baby room.

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Cookson and Latewood only spoke in court when they were requested to confirm their dates of birth and to enter their pleas. During their court appearance on Tuesday, Judge Michael Chambers KC told the Latewood and Cookson that they would likely face trial in 2026, but did not set a specific date. Cookson is set to be sentenced based on the conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks. Until then, both Cookson and Latewood have been released on unconditional bail awaiting the next hearing.

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Judge Chambers told Cookson: “In your case, Kimberley Cookson, you have had the courage to plead guilty and will get the appropriate credit for that plea. I am adjourning your sentencing until the conclusion of the trial, so the judge will have all the facts of the case.” The judge also issued a warning to the defendants, stating they could face further criminal proceedings if they failed to appear for their trial. A pre-tria review hearing was set for 5 December 2025.

Noah’s mother Masi Sibanda, 31, described her son as a ‘handsome, beautiful, cute boy’ who was ‘lovable’ and smiley. She added: “I know parents are biased, but he was so beautiful. He was calm, very relaxed and quite chilled and unfazed by things. We would find him just chilling with his arm behind his head. He was very easy-going and he made it easy as a first-time parent.”