Childminder guilty of killing boy

Agnes Wong, 28, was convicted at Manchester Crown Court of the manslaughter of 17-month-old Hugo Wang. Hugo also suffered bite marks, bruising and burns caused by a hairdryer. He was taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary on January 25 last year, when hospital staff became concerned by his injuries.

Wong, her boyfriend Jian Jiu, and two others in their flat at Frank Cowin Court, Fitzwilliam Street, Salford, were arrested on suspicion of assault. Hugo was transferred to Pendlebury Children's Hospital in Salford where he underwent emergency surgery to reduce the pressure on his brain caused by internal bleeding.

However, it became clear that Hugo couldn't survive, and his life support machines were switched off just before 5pm the following day.

A post mortem examination showed the cause of death to be a traumatic head injury, likely to have been inflicted some time on the day before he died. Hugo's brain had shifted in his skull, and there was bleeding between his skull and his brain.

Wong was paid by Hugo's mother to look after her son all the time.

The police investigation found that Hugo's burn marks were from the hot grille of a hairdryer, and the marks on his legs had been caused by Wong hitting him with a ruler when he would not stop crying. Wong and her boyfriend were re-arrested on suspicion of Hugo's murder an hour after he died.

Police interviewed Jian Jiu's nine-year-old son, who lived with the couple, as a witness to the crime. He told officers that he was frightened of Wong. The boy said that on January 25 he and his father had gone to a neighbouring flat in Frank Cowin Court to wash, as their boiler had broken. Wong and Hugo were left in their flat.

Wong appeared saying that something was wrong with Hugo and she was taking him to hospital. Wong was charged with Hugo's murder on January 29 last year, which she denied.

Jian Jiu was charged with causing or allowing the death of a child by an unlawful act. During the course of the two-week trial this charge was dropped. The two others who were arrested were released without charge.