Nottinghamshire Police worker jailed after death of boy in her care

A woman who worked at Nottinghamshire Police has been jailed after the death of a nine-year-old boy in her care.

Catherine Walker, 47, was the legal guardian of the boy, who was found unresponsive in his bedroom in Warsop, Nottinghamshire, on 16 December 2024. Despite the efforts of paramedics and people at the scene, the boy died in hospital.

The force said an investigation found "clear mistreatment of the boy over a prolonged period of time".

Walker, of Appleton Street in Warsop, was jailed for six years at Nottingham Crown Court on Monday after pleading guilty to two counts of assault/ill-treat/neglect/abandon a child/young person to cause unnecessary suffering/injury.

The force, which has not revealed what Walker's role was, said her former husband was the boy's primary carer and had been mainly responsible for his treatment.

He died shortly after the boy's death, police added.

Officers investigating what had happened raised concerns about the conditions in the boy's bedroom, which police said "lacked any of the comforts seen elsewhere in the house".

There were no blinds or curtains in the window, and an electric socket was "hanging dangerously off the wall".

The bedroom had very little furniture, no radiator or door handle, and was fitted with a bathroom-style door lock on the outside, the force added.

Walker claimed the room was being renovated, but police said further investigation "revealed this to be untrue".

Officers also received evidence from other witnesses that showed "clear mistreatment of the boy over a prolonged period of time".

After Walker's sentencing, Det Ch Insp Gail Routledge said: "This was one of the most upsetting cases I can remember.

"This boy was very clearly mistreated for a significant period of time and was living in conditions that no child should have to endure.

"It was always our case that this mistreatment was a deliberate choice by the defendant, rather than the result of neglectful parenting.

"I am please she has now been held to account for her role in his death."

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