Baby lay dead on sofa after mum drank vodka and partied with friend

A baby girl lay dead on a sofa at home after her partying mum failed to raise the alarm until it was too late.

Natasha Birks had sole responsibility for Rhian Mahoney when she placed the five-month-old on a settee before cracking open a bottle of vodka and partying with a friend on the eve of her birthday. Prosecutors said the 37-year-old mum failed to properly check on the baby.

They added that she did not notice little Rhian had failed to wake for her feed in the middle of the night. The tot had already died by the time paramedics were alerted. Birks nows now been convicted of child cruelty and will

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Now Birks has been convicted of child cruelty following the 2021 tragedy in Normacot area of Stoke on Trent and will be sentenced in December.

Stoke-on-Trent Crown Court heard Birks and a friend consumed large quantities of vodka mixed with orange juice and Irish cream liqueur in a separate room from where Rhian slept. Birks ate nothing to counteract the alcohol's effects and left the house several times to smoke cigarettes.

The prosecution case was that throughout the evening Birks only briefly observed her daughter from a dining room doorway rather than conducting proper checks.

When Rhian did not wake for her usual feed between 4.30am and 6.30am, Birks failed to notice this deviation from routine. Between 6am and 9am, Birks then failed to recognise her daughter's deterioration in health.

Elaine Radway, from the Crown Prsosecution Service, said: "Natasha Birks chose to drink heavily while responsible for her five-month-old baby who was entirely dependent on her.

"Although she did not cause her child's death or foresee this devastating outcome, her level of intoxication meant she could not provide the supervision Rhian needed.

“The law holds parents accountable for the safety and wellbeing of their children, and as we have seen in this case, there are serious consequences when parents fail in their fundamental duty to protect vulnerable children. Our thoughts remain with all those affected.”