Addict guilty of son's drugs death

12 April 2012

A drug addict father has been warned that he faces a lengthy jail term after he was convicted of killing his baby son by giving him a heroin substitute and tranquillisers to stop him crying.

Nathan Grain, 34, was convicted at Leicester Crown Court of the manslaughter of three-month-old Luke.

The jury took just an hour to convict him after a week-long trial.

Luke was given fatal doses of methadone and diazepam by Grain as he looked after the child at their home in Shepshed, Leicestershire. Luke died in the early hours of January 15 last year.

Remanding Grain in custody, Judge Michael Pert QC said: "It's inevitably going to be prison and a substantial prison sentence.

"You have been convicted by this jury. I will sentence when I've got all the reports. In the meantime, you are remanded in custody." Grain will be sentenced on June 7.

Speaking outside court, Luke's great aunt Denise Chaplin, whose sister Theresa was initially blamed by Grain for the death, said: "Justice has been done.

"No amount of time for Grain to be in prison is worth baby Luke's life but at least it is the end of this sickening story."

Mrs Chaplin's sister was left "devastated" by Grain's accusation that she was the one who fed Luke the drugs.

She said: "It was hurtful enough that her grandson had died, but having the actual person know what caused it to try and turn it around to her..."

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