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Alfie Lamb: Last moments of tragic toddler who was crushed by car seat

Heartbreaking CCTV footage has revealed some of the last moments of tragic toddler Alfie Lamb before he was fatally injured when he was crushed by a car seat.

Alfie can be seen walking on the film with his mother, Adrian Hoare, as she is holding his hand.

She and Alfie's stepdad, Stephen Waterson, appear to be walking too fast for Alfie's little legs and he has to continually run to keep up with him.

Some of the last footage of Alfie before he was crushed

Later they walk into a supermarket and Hoare is still holding his hand and looks like she's leading him quickly into the store.

Hours later, in more CCTV footage, Alfie can be seen again walking in the other direction with his mum and her partner and others and still, the tot has to almost run to keep up with the group.

Shortly afterwards, Alfie would get into the car, where he suffered fatal injuries after being allegedly crushed by a car seat.

Yesterday his mother and stepfather were convicted by a jury at the Old Bailey and Hoare, who used to live in Chatham and Gravesend, was found guilty of child cruelty and common assault.

Stephen Waterson, 25 and Adrian Hoare, 23 both of Adams Way, Croydon
Stephen Waterson, 25 and Adrian Hoare, 23 both of Adams Way, Croydon

Waterson was found guilty of witness intimidation.

Hoare was cleared of manslaughter

The pair of Adams Way, Croydon, had previously pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

The court heard on the day Alfie was crushed, February 1 last year, paramedics were called to Adams Way, to assist an unresponsive child.

The toddler had been travelling in an Audi convertible with four adults; Hoare, Waterson, Emilie Williams and another man.

Adrian Hoare, 23, with Alfie
Adrian Hoare, 23, with Alfie

Alfie had been placed in the footwell of the car, between his mother's legs and behind Waterson's seat on the passenger side.

The paramedics who treated Alfie identified burst blood vessels around his eyes, which were an indication of suffocation.

Alfie died three days later in hospital.

The pathologist who examined the youngster found he had died as a result of crush asphyxia.

The CCTV footage obtained by police showed Alfie had been fit and healthy when he got into the vehicle in Sutton High Street.

When paramedics first arrived at Adams Way to treat the injured youngster, Hoare and Williams told them they had been in a taxi when he had become unresponsive.

Stephen Waterson pushed his car seat back which squashed Alfie
Stephen Waterson pushed his car seat back which squashed Alfie

They repeated this false account to police officers who attended the scene.

Analysis of the couple's mobile phones showed they remained in contact throughout the time Hoare was taken by police to the Croydon hospital where Alfie was being treated.

Williams, who was in the police car with Hoare, said Hoare had kept the phone line open to Waterson so he knew what the officers were saying.

Hoare then sent a text to Waterson shortly after she arrived at hospital which read: "They (police) know we are lying."

Adrian Hoarewas found guilty of child cruelty. Picture: Met Police
Adrian Hoarewas found guilty of child cruelty. Picture: Met Police

Hoare then gave police a different account, saying she had been in a VW Golf with Alfie driven by a man who wanted to buy some cannabis.

Waterson then arrived at the hospital and, after giving police a false name, gave them the same account as Hoare. Williams also made a statement to the same effect.

Two days later, Waterson made attempts to sell the Audi and, on February 8, sold it for £800.

A few days later, on n February 15, 2018, Hoare gave police a new account of what had happened in the car.

Adrian Hoare, 23, who used to live in Gravesend was found guilty of child cruelty
Adrian Hoare, 23, who used to live in Gravesend was found guilty of child cruelty

She said that Alfie had been in the footwell between her legs when Waterson moved the seat back.

She said it was only when she got out of the vehicle that she realised there was a problem with Alfie.

The next day, police managed to recover the Audi and subjected it to a detailed forensic analysis.

Officers investigating Alfie's death also established Waterson had assaulted the man driving the Audi later at month in an attempt to stop him talking about what had happened when Alfie was crushed.

Hoare and Waterson were arrested towards the end of February their home address.

Waterson gave a prepared statement when interviewed, in which he said e loved children, and would not deliberately harm a child.

Toddler Alfie Lamb
Toddler Alfie Lamb

Hoare was charged on in May last year with assaulting Williams and a couple of days later with ill-treatment of a child, contrary to section 1, Children and Young Persons Act 1933.

She was also charged with perverting the course of justice and charged with manslaughter in June last year.

Hoare was cleared of manslaughter by the jury.

Williams was also charged with perverting the course of justice in May last year.

Waterson was also charged in May with perverting the course of justice.

Adrian Hoare, 23, with Alfie
Adrian Hoare, 23, with Alfie

In June he was further charged with manslaughter on and witness intimidation at a later court appearance.

However, the jury failed to reach a verdict in relation to his manslaughter charge and it is not known if he will face a retrial. However, the jury did find him guilty of intimidating a witness.

Emilie Williams, 19, also of Adams Way, Croydon pleaded guilty to perverting the course of justice.

All three are due to be sentenced on Monday, March 4.

Speaking after the verdicts, DCI Simon Harding said: "Adrian Hoare, as the mother of Alfie, and Stephen Waterson, her partner, should have put the safety and well-being of Alfie as their uppermost priority when he was placed in the car last year.

"They put the toddler, who was just three-and-a-half years old, in the footwell of the vehicle with little or no room to move..." - DCI Harding

"Instead, they put the toddler, who was just three-and-a-half years old, in the footwell of the vehicle with little or no room to move.

"Waterson moved his seat back.

Hoare, who was sitting behind Alfie, failed in any meaningful way to address the consequences of Waterson's actions. "Although the movement of the seat carried with it an obvious risk, given the lack of space even for a child of Alfie's size, she utterly failed in her duty to protect her child.

"Finding that Alfie was unresponsive once they returned to Adams Way, Hoare and Waterson continuously lied to police in a bid to escape responsibility for their actions.

"Even with her son fighting for his life in intensive care, Hoare showed little or no concern for Alfie and focussed her energies on maintaining contact with her partner so they could corroborate their false stories.

"The investigation into Alfie's death has been one of the most distressful some of my officers have been involved in."

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