London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Jun 16, 2026

Mum doesn't give a damn and poses for camera outside court over baby death

Mum doesn't give a damn and poses for camera outside court over baby death

A woman who left her baby son to die in his cot posed for pictures outside court before she was jailed for child cruelty.

Stacey Davis, 31, left Ethan in his cot while she went to a local park and ran errands.

For two hours the one-year-old had nobody caring for him when the temperature hit 27°C with windows closed and no fan.

When she returned two hours later she failed to check on Ethan for another 30 minutes, texting a friend instead, before discovering his lifeless body in his cot.

He was pronounced dead shortly after arriving in hospital on June 27, 2018.

It was later discovered that he had a five-inch skull fracture but the cause of death remained unascertained after a post-mortem.

She said that he had fallen and banged his head but admitted she didn’t take him to hospital despite swelling, bruising and obvious stress.


Stacey Davis appeared very relaxed as she headed to court

Her defence lawyer, Mark Ashley, said she was suffering from post-natal depression after he was born prematurely via C-section and needed colon surgery, resulting in a two-month hospital stay.

He said she had struggled to bond with Ethan and did not visit him in hospital much because she couldn’t get lifts from her family.

Cannabis was found in his hair, which Davis said was because she smoked weed around him regularly.

Mr Ashley said: ‘She was coping with it in the wrong way – she was smoking cannabis’.

Judge Parkes KC cut him off saying: ‘It was incredibly stupid. Go outside and do it.’

Describing Davis’ behaviour as ‘thoroughly selfish’ and jailing her for two years Judge Parkes KC said: ‘There is no evidence you or his father caused Ethan’s death, no suggestion you did so.

Baby Ethan Davis,1, died in his crib after being left alone in a hot room with a fractured skull for over two hours while his mum went out shopping

Stacey Davis smiled and waved to photographers outside Salisbury court before being sentenced to two years in jail for child cruelty


‘The sad fact is that you fell very seriously short of the duty owed to Ethan as his mother.

‘He suffered a 15cm skull fracture one-to-three weeks before his death, likely to be from blunt impact of significant force.

‘You failed to seek medical attention for the injury to his head. Any normal parent would put the child’s health before anything.

‘It is clear you abandoned him on two occasions, including the day of this death.

‘This is aggravated by the fact it happened twice. You left Ethan alone in his cot in a room with a closed window.

‘What is particularly appalling about this episode is that you spent half an hour on the phone, sending and receiving messages [when you arrived home], until you went to check on Ethan.

‘You had not seen him, checked on him, for nearly three hours.’

Davis has started a drug rehabilitation course but smoked it this week due to her ‘stress levels being particularly high.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
UK Supreme Court Revises Legal Definition of Deprivation of Liberty
King’s Birthday Honours Recognise Contributions Across Science, Culture and Public Service
UK Ministry of Defence Reports Interdiction of Russian Shadow Fleet Vessel
UK and US Launch Joint Regulatory Programme for Medicines and Healthcare Products
Solicitor General Refers Murder Sentence to Court of Appeal Under Unduly Lenient Scheme
UK Launches £1.6 Million Mobile Museum Initiative to Expand Cultural Access
Judicial Pay Structure Undergoes Government Review Following Senior Recommendations
Government Confirms Nearly 180 New Youth Hubs Across the United Kingdom
UK Government Expands Careers Support Through Partnership with LinkedIn
Digital News Report Highlights Growing Global Concern Over AI and Information Overload
UK Chancellor Reaffirms Fiscal Discipline and Borrowing Reduction Strategy
UK Government Invests £219 Million in Sustainable Aviation Fuel Development
Rolls-Royce Small Modular Reactors Secures Major Swedish Export Contract
Government Confirms Locations for Nearly 180 Youth Hubs Across Great Britain
UK Government Partners with LinkedIn to Expand Employment Support Services
Reuters Institute Report Flags Rising Public Anxiety Over News and Information Overload
UK Government Commits £219 Million to Expand Sustainable Aviation Fuel Industry
Chancellor Convenes Market Engagement Group to Assess UK Economic Outlook and Productivity Risks
Rolls-Royce Wins Multibillion-Pound Swedish Contract for Small Modular Nuclear Reactors
Government to Ban Social Media Access for Under-Sixteens Across the United Kingdom
Government Approves Fast-Tracked Broadcast Merger Reshaping UK's Media Landscape
Resignation of Defence Secretary John Healey Triggers Debate Over UK Military Strategy
Britain Intensifies Diplomatic Efforts to Support US-Iran Ceasefire
Bank of England Faces Tough Interest Rate Choices After Economic Contraction
Belfast Sees Second Day of Anti-Migrant Riots as Police Deploy Water Cannons
UK Economy Shrinks in April as Energy Price Shocks Weigh on Growth
UK to Ban Social Media Access for Children Under 16 From 2027
UK Parliament Opens Week of Fast-Tracked Security and Infrastructure Legislation
Northern Ireland Projects £21 Million Boost From Major Cultural and Sporting Events
UK and Japan Sign Technology Security Pact to Strengthen AI and Supply Chain Cooperation
UK Welcomes US-Iran Peace Breakthrough Aimed at Restoring Strait of Hormuz Shipping
British Forces Intercept Russian Shadow Fleet Oil Tanker in English Channel Sanctions Operation
UK to Ban Social Media for Under-16s Under Landmark Online Safety Expansion
Anti-Immigrant Riots Spread Across Belfast, Raising Security Concerns
Ministry of Defence Opens Europe's Largest Drone Testing Facility in Swindon
Kemi Badenoch Calls for Deregulation to Restore City's Global Competitiveness
UK Housing Market Posts Sharpest June Price Decline in Fourteen Years
NHS Waiting Lists Rise to 7.22 Million as Diagnostic Delays Reach New Highs
Makerfield By-Election Raises Prospect of Labour Leadership Challenge
Bank of England Expected to Hold Interest Rates at 3.75% Despite Growing Policy Divisions
Royal Marines Seize Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker in English Channel
Prime Minister Keir Starmer Set to Ban Social Media and AI Chatbots for Under-16s
United Kingdom Markets Rally After US-Iran Deal Reopens Strait of Hormuz
Defence Secretary John Healey Resigns Over Military Spending Dispute, Triggering Cabinet Crisis
Royal Navy Takes Part in Trooping the Colour for the First Time in 350 Years
Think Tank Warns Labour's European Union Reset Could Carry Significant Economic Costs
UK Semiconductor Centre and Japan's Rapidus Forge Advanced Chip Manufacturing Partnership
UK and Japan Launch Offshore Wind Compact Backed by £9 Billion in Investment
Starmer and Trump Discuss Iran Peace Efforts and Reopening of the Strait of Hormuz
United Kingdom and Japan Sign £18 Billion Investment Partnership Focused on Clean Energy and Advanced Technology
×