London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Mar 04, 2026

Mum left baby to die in 27C heat with fractured skull while she got car cleaned

Mum left baby to die in 27C heat with fractured skull while she got car cleaned

A MUM who left her baby home to die in 27C heat with a fractured skull while she got her car cleaned has been jailed.

Ethan Davis, one, was trapped in his cot for two hours in a warm room with no windows open or fan.


Ethan Davis died after being left in a hot room with a serious head injury

Stacey Davis has been jailed for two years

His mum Stacey Davis, 35, had popped out to run errands and visit a park as her son lay lifeless in the stifling room.

Even when she got back to the home in Melksham, Wiltshire, the mum failed to check on Ethan for a further 30 minutes.

After eventually discovering him unresponsive in his bed, the tot was rushed to hospital where he was declared dead shortly after.

Davis has now been jailed for two years after admitting child cruelty.

Salisbury Crown Court heard how a post mortem found Ethan had suffered a 15cm skull fracture but his cause of death was unascertained.

Davis told police he had fallen and hit his head but she failed to take him to hospital despite the obvious distress, swelling and bruising.

Forensic investigator Nicola Anderson also detected high levels of cannabis in Ethan's hair, which was consistent with Davis smoking the drug around him.

Defence barrister Mark Ashley claimed Davis was scared to take her son to hospital after he was previously removed from her care due to a suspected broken leg.

He also said she was suffering from post-natal depression after Ethan was born premature so began using cannabis

He was cut off by Judge Parkes QC, who said it was "incredibly stupid" to smoke it inside.

Sentencing, he added: "The sad fact is that you fell very seriously short of the duty owed to Ethan as his mother.

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

"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."

The mum had popped out to get her car cleaned and run errands

She had sat on a bench at one point as Ethan was left to die

She pleaded guilty to child neglect

The mum had smoked cannabis around the baby

A post mortem could not ascertain how he died

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Trump Says UK–US ‘Special Relationship’ Is Diminished Amid Middle East Dispute
UK Economic Forecasts Face Fresh Strain from Middle East Conflict and Rising Energy Costs
UK Reaffirms Close US Ties After Trump’s Public Criticism
Reeves Stresses Stability and Fiscal Discipline in UK Budget Update as Growth Outlook Shifts
UK Deploys Royal Navy Destroyer HMS Dragon to Cyprus After Drone Strike on RAF Base
Green Party Surges Past Labour in New UK Poll as Traditional Party Support Crumbles
Majority of Britons Oppose U.S. Use of UK Military Bases in Iran Conflict
UK Intensifies Evacuation Efforts from Oman, Working with Airlines to Boost Flight Capacity
Trump Condemns UK and Spain in Unusually Sharp Rift Over Iran Military Action
Trump Repeats UK Claims That Diverge from Verified Facts Amid Diplomatic Strain
UK Arrests Prominent Figures Linked to Epstein Network as Questions Mount Over US Action
Trump Says UK ‘Took Far Too Long’ to Approve Use of Airbases for Iran Strikes
Scope of Britain’s Role in the Expanding Middle East Conflict Comes Under Scrutiny
Trump Says He Is ‘Very Disappointed’ in Starmer Over Iran Comments
U.S. Embassy in Riyadh Struck by Drones Amid Escalating Iran Conflict
Starmer Confronts Strategic Test After Drone Strike Near British Base in Cyprus
Rolls-Royce Chief Signals Openness to Germany Joining UK-Led Fighter Jet Programme
UK Stocks Slip as Escalating Iran Conflict Triggers Global Market Selloff
UK Overhauls Asylum System to Make Refugee Status Temporary
Starmer Warns of ‘Reckless’ Iranian Strikes Amid Escalating Regional Tensions
British Base in Cyprus Targeted as Drones Intercepted Amid Expanding Iran Conflict
Starmer Diverges from Trump on Iran Strategy, Rejects ‘Regime Change from the Skies’
U.S. and Israel Intensify Strikes on Iran as Conflict Expands to Lebanon and Gulf States
Violent Pro-Iranian Protesters Storm U.S. Consulate in Karachi
Missile Debris Sparks Fires at Dubai’s Jebel Ali Port Near Palm Jumeirah
Iran Strikes U.S. Fifth Fleet Headquarters in Bahrain Amid Wider Gulf Retaliation
When the State Replaces the Parent: How Gender Policy Is Redefining Custody and Coercion
Bill Clinton Denies Knowing Woman in Hot Tub Photo During Closed-Door Epstein Deposition
Former U.S. President Bill Clinton Testifies on Ties to Jeffrey Epstein Before Congressional Oversight Committee
Dyson Reaches Settlement in Landmark UK Forced Labour Case
Barclays and Jefferies Shares Fall After UK Mortgage Lender Collapse Rekindles Credit Market Concerns
Play Exploring Donald Trump’s Rise to Power by ‘Lehman Trilogy’ Author to Premiere in the UK
Man Arrested After Churchill Statue Defaced in Central London
Keir Starmer Faces Political Setback as Labour Finishes Third in High-Profile By-Election
UK Assisted Dying Bill Set to Fall Short in Parliament as Regional Initiatives Gain Ground
UK Defence Ministry Clarifies Position After Reports of Imminent Helicopter Contract
Independent Left-Wing Plumber Secures Shock Victory as Greens Surge in UK By-Election
Reform UK Refers Alleged ‘Family Voting’ Incidents in By-Election to Police
United Kingdom Temporarily Withdraws Embassy Staff from Iran Amid Heightened Regional Tensions
UK Government Reaches Framework Agreement on Release of Mandelson Vetting Files
UK Police Contracts With Israeli Surveillance Firms Spark Debate Over Ethics and Oversight
United Airlines Passenger Hears Cockpit Conversations After Accessing In-Flight Audio Channel
Spain to Conduct Border Checks on Gibraltar Arrivals Under New Post-Brexit Framework
Engie Shares Jump After $14 Billion Agreement to Acquire UK Power Grid Assets
BNP Paribas Overtakes Goldman Sachs in UK Investment Banking League Tables
Geothermal Project to Power Ten Thousand Homes Marks UK Renewable Energy Milestone
UK Visa Grants Drop Nineteen Percent in 2025 as Migration Controls Tighten
Barclays and Jefferies Among Banks Exposed to Collapse of UK Mortgage Lender MFS
UK Asylum Applications Edge Down in 2025 Despite Rise in Small Boat Crossings
Jefferies Reports Significant Exposure After Collapse of UK Lender MFS
×