Carer guilty of killing baby boy

A carer has been found guilty of manslaughter after a 16-month-old boy died in her care.

Agnes Wong, 28, was looking after Hugo Wang at her flat in Frank Cowin Court, Fitzwilliam Street, Salford, last year when he suffered fatal head injuries.

Manchester Crown Court heard she had picked him up by his ankles and flung him against either a bed or a settee.

Wong denied murder but was found guilty of manslaughter and is to be sentenced at Preston Crown Court in April.

The toddler was taken to the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital in Pendlebury on 25 January 2007, but died from his injuries the next day.

"Hugo's brain was accelerated and stopped very quickly"
Det Ch Insp Geoff Wessell

He suffered bleeding and severe swelling of the brain and had bruising to his legs, a burn mark and bite marks.

Wong, her boyfriend Jian Jiu, and two others in their flat were initially arrested on suspicion of assault.

But an hour after Hugo died, the couple were re-arrested on suspicion of his murder.

Wong was charged with Hugo's murder on 29 January, and Jian Jiu was charged with causing or allowing the death of a child by an unlawful act.

During the course of the two-week trial this charge was dropped.

The two others who were arrested were released without charge.

'Burn mark'

In court, Wong admitted that she had hit and bitten Hugo in the days before his death when he had been "naughty".

She claimed the burn mark was caused when Hugo was playing with a hairdryer.

Hugo was being cared for by Wong, who was being paid £120 a week to look after him.

His father and mother, who was only 16 when she gave birth, worked at a Chinese restaurant in Southport.

His mother only saw Hugo once a week, the court was told.

'Extreme force'

After the hearing Det Ch Insp Geoff Wessell, from Greater Manchester Police, said: "From speaking to medical experts we think that Hugo died after his head was hit with extreme force against a soft surface.

"Marks on his legs could have been the result of him having been held by his ankles and swung round. Hugo's brain was accelerated and stopped very quickly.

"There is no way unintentional rough handling of a child would have resulted in this kind of injury.

"Instead of caring for Hugo, Wong punished him for doing just what children do - cry and crave attention," he added.

"I hope Hugo's parents can seek some comfort that justice has been done today."

RELATED INTERNET LINKS
Greater Manchester Police
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites