Baby Theo drowned as parents made phone calls

TODDLER WAS DISCOVERED UNDER WATER AFTER BEING LEFT 'FOR 11 TO 12 MINUTES'

- JOHN SCHEERHOUT

AN 11-MONTH-OLD boy drowned in a bath after being left unsupervised by his parents for 1 1 minutes as they made phone calls, an inquest heard.

An ambulance was called to a house in Benchill, Wythenshawe, at 9.36am on October 27, 2020, to reports an infant was 'unresponsive' Theo Taylor-Maloney was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, but his death was later confirmed.

His mother Jessica Taylor had left him to make a call to her mother about obtaining a provisional driving licence, while his father Michael Maloney was on the phone to a credit union, a coroner heard.

Both admitted allowing or causing the death of a child in criminal proceedings and were handed suspended sentences, the inquest was told.

In a statement read to Manchester Coroners' Court, Theo's mother Ms Taylor, now 29, said: "Theo was a kind and loving and caring little boy who always had a smile on his face. He was a very happy and bubbly boy who brought so much joy to everyone. He never failed to put a smile on anyone's face." He was a 'very clever little boy' who loved playing with his sisters, she added.