Toddler, 3, 'killed her six-month-old brother by sitting on him'

The children's mother, 33-year-old Georgina Bartlett, had left little James sleeping in a rubber "activity ring" while she went upstairs for a bath.

She came back down to find his three-and-a-half year-old sister Abigail sitting on the ring and her son slumped lifeless.

In a statement read at the inquest into James's death, Mrs Bartlett said: "I came downstairs and saw Abigail sitting on, or by, the ring.

"I said, "No, Abby, you can't sit there".

I picked James up in my arms and I knew something was wrong when he didn't wake up.

"He wasn't breathing so I rang 999 and told the operator, "I think my daughter has squashed, sat on, my son"."

James was flown by air ambulance from his parents' home in Nailsworth, near Stroud, Gloucestershire, to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.

He was pronounced dead there by doctors.

Recording a verdict of accidental death, Gloucestershire coroner Alan Crickmore told the Bartletts that their daughter was not to blame for the tragedy.

Mrs Bartlett, a sales assistant, had been looking after the two children on May 25.

Her 41-year-old husband Gavin, who works in customer services, was at the office.

She told the inquest how she left James sleeping in the rubber ring for "safety" and Abigail watching a film while she went upstairs to have a bath at around 3.15pm.

Mrs Bartlett added: "He was content in the ring and I put him in it because I knew it was stable and safe.

"It's an activity ring, with toys on it, specially designed for children who are not mobile.

"James was fast asleep and Abigail was running up and down the stairs, coming to see me in the bath, and then going back down again.

"I heard James wake up and he was chuckling and giggling.

"Then he stopped chuckling and giggling. I thought he had fallen back asleep.

"When I came downstairs, Abigail was sitting on the ring and looking at me."

A police investigation was launched, but Detective Sergeant Mark Whittaker told the inquest no suspicious circumstances were found and the baby's cause of death was recorded as acute asphyxia.

The coroner told the parents: "James was well cared for, properly nourished and the right size for his age.

"Mr Crickmore said Abigail was an inquisitive and active little girl, who would go up to her brother's ring and play and talk to him.

"I'm satisfied there was no improper action on the part of any third party and I include Abigail in that comment.

"A three-and-a-half-year-old cannot be expected to understand that this could lead to a catastrophe, especially as she had shown such loving attention to her brother, rather than a jealous one."

Afterwards, Mr and Mrs Bartlett, who have no other children, said: "We are a family and are facing this together.

"We would like to thank the hospital for everything they did."