“Critical information” revealed by Laura Castle was not shared with her doctor and then was not available to the adoption board that went on to approve her, according to a review. Castle was jailed in May for at least 18 years for murdering one-year-old Leiland-James Corkill at her home in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, in January 2021. The baby boy had been placed with her and husband Scott, 35, less than five months before he died from catastrophic head injuries. Cumbria’s director of children’s services admitted there was a failure to share information about Castle. Image: Laura Castle The 38-year-old, who already had a child at birth, had “talk therapy” with NHS-commissioned service First Step when she applied in January 2019 to become a foster parent, a review of child protection practice into the case has revealed . Information obtained by the First Step program indicated that he had problems with “low mood, anxiety and anger management”. The review added: “This included her self-report of being often irritable and moody, including shouting too much at her toddler. “She talked about feeling judged by other parents and avoiding company. She also mentioned drinking six bottles of wine a week which affected her motivation and mood, although she denied it had an impact on her parenting.” The review said Castle failed to mention those details in the adoption application process, and no safeguarding concerns were raised by First Step, which was unaware the couple had applied for adoption. The review added that the agency informed her doctor about her involvement with Castle between December 2018 and April 2019, but did not include details about what was discussed with her. He has recommended a series of changes to prevent his death from happening again. Image: Laura Castle (right) during a police interview Among the recommendations is to update and review all health information about adopters and family children at key points in the case and not rely on self-report. Cumbria County Council was aware of the “related links” between Castle and Leiland-James during the adoption process, but he died before a planned review could take place. Castle had assured social workers there was no “corporal punishment” of the child, even as she hit him in detail in a text message to her husband. A report by the Child Safeguarding Practice Review found that Castle had deliberately misled social workers, but said they should not rely on “self-reported information” and that rigorous scrutiny and questioning of the information provided was vital. The police investigation into Leiland-James’ death revealed information about Castle’s mental health, alcohol use and financial situation that was either not known or shared. She also hid her “negative views” about the young man from officials. The couple had been approved for adoption after an eight-month assessment and no concerns were raised about their suitability. Leiland-James was taken into care 48 hours after he was born. His birth mother Laura Corkill has described Castle as a “monster” and questioned why he was not allowed to remain with his family. Yvonne’s mother asked for resignations from those involved in his adoption. He told Sky News: “It would have been better if he had stayed with his mum. He would still be here now. He had his whole life ahead of him. I just hope no other child has to go through this.” John Readman, Cumbria County Council’s executive director for people, confirmed that “the relevant information at Laura Castle was not shared between agencies”. He said: “Laura Castle told social workers she was struggling to bond with Leiland-James. This is not unusual in adoptions. “The report highlights that more should have been done to support the family. “We recognize this and have since made changes to the way we work.” The report makes a number of local and national recommendations to improve adoption practices. When companies find there are problems with prospective users, he says, they need to respond quickly. After Leiland-James’ death, the other child who lived in the house had given police a clear account of what had happened. Read more: Woman rocked life of 12-month-old boy she hoped to adopt, court hears One of the recommendations is that children in this situation should be engaged. Lesley Walker, the independent auditor of Cumbria Safeguarding Children Partnership, which carried out the review, said: “The agencies and professionals involved in this case have openly reflected on how systems and practices can be strengthened to prevent the abuse or neglect of any other child. in similar circumstances”. It all came too late for Leiland-James – a boy, his family said, a happy child with an infectious laugh. “I’m very angry,” Yvonne Corkill said. “They should have vetted them properly. These kids can’t defend themselves and they need justice.”
