Laura Castle has been jailed for life for the murder of Leiland-James Corkill, a one-year-old boy that was in her care.

On Tuesday 17th May, Laura Castle, 38, was found guilty of killing Leiland-James Corkill at Preston Crown Court.The one-year-old boy died of major head injuries at Castle's home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, back in January 2021.Today, Laura Castle was sentenced to prison for life with a minimum term of 18-years. She too was sentenced to an additional 21 months for a child cruelty charge, which will be served concurrently.

Castle won't be eligible for parole for 17-years. If she is released from jail, she will remain on licence to recall for the rest of her life.This means that if Laura Castle breaches her agreement with the authorities upon her release, she will be taken back to prison and given additional charges.Mr Justice Jeremy Barker told Laura Castle in Court that: "Precisely what took place on 6 January may never be known as even now I do not consider you told the jury the full circumstances leading up to the death of Leiland-James.

"I consider your account significantly underplays the extent and degree of violence you inflicted."The defendant informed the court that she had shaken Leiland-James after he had not stopped crying and in the process his head struck the arm-rest of her sofa before he fell off her knee and onto the floor.Ahead of the sentencing, Leiland-James's birth mother, Laura Corkill, gave a letter to Mr Justice Baker.

She wrote: "A monster that robbed Leiland-James at only 12 months old of his life, robbed me, his brother, sisters and my family of one day opening the door to the wonderful young man that I know he would have become."I just exist to get justice for my son Leiland-James and for all my children."My beautiful blue-eyed baby, love saw his first breath, evil took his last breath here on earth, Mammy was not ready to say goodbye, I will never be ready to say goodbye."