Grandmother spared jail after baby drowns in bath in Cornwall
Shirley Grenfell, 53, received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months.
A grandmother has avoided jail after she left her baby granddaughter alone in the bath for a few minutes, where she drowned in just 14cm of water after slipping.
Shirley Grenfell, 53, received a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months on Tuesday after pleading guilty to cruelty to a person under 16.
Truro Crown Court heard 11-month-old Chanelle Grenfell was left alone for a few minutes on Boxing Day 2017 while her grandmother went to fetch a towel from her bedroom.
When Grenfell returned, she found Chanelle lying on her back under the water.
Chanelle was taken to hospital in Plymouth and later transferred to a specialist unit in Bristol but died the following day.
The court heard Chanelle had been visiting her grandmother's home in Cornwall on Christmas Day with her parents and had stayed overnight.
The shop worker was later charged with manslaughter by gross negligence and child cruelty, and stood trial in September.
A jury failed to reach verdicts on both charges and the panel was discharged.
Grenfell, of Forth Scol, Illogan, later pleaded guilty to the lesser charge, which was accepted by the prosecution.
"We don't consider it to be a momentary lapse, nor particularly low level of neglect, but we accept it does not fall into the higher brackets.''
Jo Martin QC, Prosecution
"Chanelle was a much-loved character and she is well and truly missed. I miss her every day and I hope she is OK there.
"I hope she knows her mummy loves her so, so much and it is such a tragedy, and it is something I will never forget.
"I just hope this tragedy makes people think about leaving their kids in the bath alone.''
Kirsty Mankee, Chanelle's mother via Victim Impact Statement
Simon Laws QC, defending, said Grenfell left her granddaughter for a "short period of time'' and she will live with the "terrible tragedy'' for a long time.
"Hers is a life that has very much been devoted to her family, bringing up her children and being a caring and loving grandmother to her large number of grandchildren,.
"The tragedy here is primarily Chanelle and Kirsty Mankee but its effects on Shirley Grenfell have also been severe.
"At the end of her police interview she said it was the last thing she thinks of at night and the first thing she thinks of in the morning.
"That is still the case for her today. This terrible tragedy is with her all of the time.'
"Christmas for her will simply never be an event of celebration.
"She has been deeply, deeply affected by what happened.''
Simon Laws QC, Defence
Passing sentence, Mrs Justice May said:
"As the evidence at trial showed, you were a loving and accommodating grandmother and the family often left their grandchildren with you.
"You had your bath and let some water out and put Chanelle in. At some point you left her to go next door to get a towel for your hair.
"How long you were gone for no-one really knows but you told paramedics and police later it could not have been longer than two or three minutes.
"When you went back in Chanelle was lying underwater on her back. She must have slipped down in the bath while you were next door.''
Mrs Justice May
The judge said the impact on Grenfell of her granddaughter's death has been "severe''.
"This was tragic inattention from a grandmother who on all the evidence was a kind, caring grandmother generous with her time to all her family.
"She lost her life as a result of what happened that day.
"It was an appalling, shocking consequence of your very short time away from the bathroom when you left to get a towel.
"She was just 11 months old, healthy, smiling in the photographs in evidence at trial.
"A life cut short with the hopes and promises which will always attach to a baby, all unrealised.''
The judge also directed that Grenfell be formally found not guilty of manslaughter.