A woman has been jailed for life with a minimum term of 18 years over the murder of a one-year-old boy she had been hoping to adopt.

Laura Castle was found guilty at Preston Crown Court on Tuesday 17 May of killing Leiland-James Corkill, who died of catastrophic head injuries at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in January 2021.

She was also convicted of child cruelty.

The 38-year-old said she had shaken the child after he had not stopped crying and his head struck the arm-rest of the sofa before he fell off her knee on to the floor.

She had originally claimed he had fallen off the sofa first, but she changed her version of events on the day the jury was sworn in for her trial.

Leiland-James had been placed with Laura and her husband Scott Castle by authorities four months before he died.

He was a “looked-after child” who was taken into care when he was born and had been approved to live with his prospective adoptive parents from August 2020.

Mrs Castle rang for an ambulance on 6 January last year and reported the child had fallen off the sofa, hurt his head and was finding it hard to breathe.

But hospital medics shared concerns as the extent of his injuries did not fit with her account.

Leiland-James died the following day.

Scott Castle, 35, was found not guilty of allowing Leiland-James’ death and was also acquitted of child cruelty.

He said he never had any concerns that anything bad was going to happen with the child, adding that he trusted his wife.

The Castles had been selected by an adoption panel following an application process overseen by Cumbria Children’s Services Department, the court heard.

In November 2020 concerns were raised that Laura Castle had said during a home visit that she did not love Leiland-James and was struggling to bond with him.

The possibility of removing the youngster from their care was later canvassed, but Laura Castle said her extended family loved him so he was “not going anywhere”.

An independent review into the adoption process is due to report back in July.

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