Mother Who Left 15Months Old Dead Toddler In His Cradle For 8 Months To Rot, Is Found Guilty Of Murder

A woman who murdered her toddler son and left his body to rot in his cot for eight months has been convicted over his death.

A jury found
Kimberley Hainey, 37 , guilty by a majority verdict for  murdering her sonDeclan at a flat in Paisley.

Hainey was also convicted of failing to report Declan's death to police or other authorities and of concealing his body at the flat.

Giving evidence for a second day at the High Court in Glasgow she said: 'I was branded a monster mother.

'It's not true. He was not murdered. He was not given drugs, I never did anything to harm my son.'

She added: 'He was the most precious thing in my life.'

She also pretended the child was being cared for by family members or that he was at nursery, leading people to believe he was still alive.

The cause of Declan's death is not known but he is said to have been last seen alive when he was 15 months old.

His body was discovered at the flat on March 30 last year when he would have been 23 months old.

Experts said he had been dead for several months.

The jury of five men and nine women also found Hainey guilty of wilfully ill-treating, neglecting and abandoning the toddler and exposing him in a manner that was likely to cause him suffering or injury to his health.

She left him alone for 'excessive' periods of time and failed to provide him with adequate nourishment and fluids.

Hainey was also accused of exposing Declan to diamorphine and amphetamine but the allegation was withdrawn by the jury.

As the verdict was announced, Hainey sat still and said nothing. She stared at the floor as she was led out of the dock.