A nursery worker has admitted manslaughter in connection with the death of a 14-month-old boy.

Kimberley Cookson, 22, appeared at Wolverhampton Crown Court on Tuesday and pleaded guilty to one count of gross negligence manslaughter following the death of Noah Sibanda, who died after an incident at Dudley’s Fairytales Day Nursery on December 9 2022.

Business owner Deborah Latewood, 54, appeared alongside Cookson in the dock and pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022.

A plea of not guilty was entered on behalf of the firm which ran the now-closed nursery, based in Bourne Street, to one count of corporate manslaughter, including an alleged failure to ensure that children in the baby room were put down to sleep in a safe way, failure to ensure that staff were adequately trained to put babies down to sleep and failure to ensure staff were adequately supervised while doing so.

Fairytales Day Nursery incident
The Fairytales Day Nursery in Bourne Street, Dudley, which is now closed. (Matthew Cooper/PA)

The company also pleaded not guilty to failing to comply with a duty under the Health and Safety at Work Act to ensure that Noah and others were not exposed to risk between November 29 and December 9 2022.

Cookson, who wore a green shirt, and Latewood, who wore a white shirt and a grey blazer, spoke only to confirm their date of birth and to enter their pleas in front of the courtroom, which was packed with members of Noah’s family and supporters of the defendants.

Judge Michael Chambers KC said Latewood and the company would face a trial, likely to be in 2026, but did not set a date.

Cookson will be sentenced upon conclusion of the trial, which is expected to last three weeks and both Cookson and Latewood were released on unconditional bail until the next hearing.

Judge Chambers said: “In your case, Kimberley Cookson, you have had the courage to plead guilty and will get the appropriate credit for that plea.

“I am adjourning your sentencing until the conclusion of the trial, so the judge will have all the facts of the case.”

He warned both defendants that if they did not appear for their trial, they could face further criminal proceedings.

A pre-trial review hearing was set for December 5.