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Claire Barnett sentenced to five years in prison as judge blames her ‘bad parenting’ for garden pond death

A mother has been jailed for five years for child cruelty after her two-year-old son drowned while she was checking Facebook on her phone.

Joshua Barnett died on 17 March last year after falling into a pond while playing in the garden at his home in Beverley, East Yorkshire.

Claire Barnett was criticised by the judge for her “bad parenting” and told she posed a danger to any child for whom she had responsibility during a hearing at Hull crown court on Friday.

Barnett, 31, was looking at her phone at the time of the boy’s death, it was revealed. She attempted to save the child but he died in hospital later the same day.

Barnett, who has since moved to Nottingham, was interviewed by police and gave officers varying accounts of what happened in the garden of her former home.

The court also heard how she had let Joshua play out in the road when she lived in Hull in August 2013. Neighbours contacted social services after he narrowly avoided being hit by a car. Barnett pleaded guilty to four counts of child cruelty.

read more: http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/oct/10/mother-jailed-after-son-drowned-as-she-checked-facebook

She is 31 years old!
I expected the mother to be some teenager. If you are not ready to take the responsibility of having a kid, use protection.

Yeah, ignoring your two year old is very bad parenting, especially when that child dies. Seems like she's getting what she deserves, but what a tragedy.

I feel like i'd need to see the situation happen or have more details to make a full judgement.  Maybe it was just an unfortunate event and she was a good parent 99.99% of the time but just got unlucky.  But yeah it seems bad not keeping an eye on child based on information here.

I've seen many "good parents" what i'd consider not watching their child fully at all times.

a valid point, however, it appears that this wasnt the first time the mother lost track of her child:
from the article:

"The court also heard how she had let Joshua play out in the road when she lived in Hull in August 2013. Neighbours contacted social services after he narrowly avoided being hit by a car. Barnett pleaded guilty to four counts of child cruelty."

what a shame, she isnt fit to be a parent imo, even if she did care for her child (which im assuming she did, given that she did try to save him after finding that he had drowned).

I feel extremely sad when something like this happens to someone. There is no bigger tragedy for parents than losing their child. Unfortunate event with sad end, she will carry her punishment in side of her until she die and that hurts more then jail time.

OK so yeah its not looking good, not fit to be a parent seems about the right indeed.  Looks like a good judgement.

Very good judgement. How careless she can be!!  Shame on her!!

She sounds addicted to Facebook or her phone IMHO.

People today usually have at least one full blown addiction, but tend to ignore them. It's not healthy to be addicted to anything.

Her prior record of letting her son play on the road, and narrowly miss getting hit by a car, also seem to have gone against her.
She just doesn't seem to have learned at all.

Facebook is a time waster. I don't get how people find that pos website entertaining.

She may have learned, but maybe was still too addicted, she didn't change her behavior. If that's the case this could be hitting rock bottom.

If there are people still texting while driving they fall into this addiction to phones/apps too. They will kill people on the road too.

I feel sorry for what she did.. may be she is not as cruel as a mom who kill her kids intentionally but it is what she has to pay for some careless she did. A lifetime guilty. And that feeling is more hurting than being jailed for five years. A good reminder for parents out there.

Well she deserved it. As a parent you have to keep an eye on your children especially when they are so young. If you want to use facebook while you are watching your kids than put them in the living room and move aside all the thing that can be harmful. You can't let your two years old play around the pond while you are focused who liked your last post or check in.

Hell, it wouldn't have surprised me if she'd taken a selfie with the child drowning in the background with the caption "OMG!!!" All joking aside, this is just pathetic, when social media takes precedence over your child...

This is just really sad and pathetic.

that's a bit extreme, from her actions outlined in the article, she seemes to be a parent who cared, just wasnt cut out to be one. reasonable decision from the court imo.
there's a lot worse going on compared to this.

She was careless and she is getting punished for it.
I don't think social media took precedence over her kid.