Couple guilty of killing boy with salt

A childless British couple were found guilty today of killing a three-year-old boy they had planned to adopt when he failed to meet their expectations of comfortable family living.

A jury of six men and six women sitting at Worcester Crown Court took more than eight hours to convict Ian and Angela Gay, of Halesowen, West Midlands, of poisoning Christian Blewitt with salt and causing him a fatal head injury.

The child was admitted to hospital five weeks into a trial placement with the married couple at their former home in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire.

The couple, who were cleared of murder and found guilty of manslaughter, stood arm in arm in the dock and showed no emotion as the foreman returned the unanimous verdicts.

A woman in the public gallery was heard to cry “No” repeatedly and a man was in tears.