Couple jailed for poisoning child they planned to adopt

A couple was jailed at Worcester Crown Court for the
manslaughter of a three-year-old boy they planned to adopt,
writes Sally Gillen.

Ian and Angela Gay were given a five-year sentence for poisoning
Christian Blewitt with salt.

He and his younger brother and sister had been placed for 13
weeks with the Gays in November 2002, but he died five weeks
later.

A serious case review is being carried out by Sandwell area
child protection committee, which will be completed in the next few
weeks.

Executive director of social inclusion and health Angela
Saganowska said: “This has been a very sad case indeed. For
all those who knew Christian, this must have been a deeply
upsetting time.”

But she added that the judge made no criticism regarding the
adoption process in this case.

Chief executive of Baaf Adoption and Fostering Felicity Collier
said: “It is always difficult to predict how new adopters
will cope with the stress of parenting a child who may be sad about
leaving their previous foster carers and may be initially very
rejecting.”

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