Laura Castle, who will spend at least 18 years in prison for murdering baby Leiland-James Corkill, originally claimed the child's death was the result of a tragic accident.

But overwhelming medical evidence led to suspicions that the baby's death was caused by something more sinister.

Arrested shortly after the baby sustained injuries on January 6 2021, Laura Castle was eventually charged months down the line.

She would come to plead guilty to manslaughter, admitting that she shook the baby at her home, but was only convicted of murder after a trial at Preston Crown Court.

'Suspicious set of circumstances'

Detective Superintendent David Pattinson, the senior investigating officer in the case, has described how police carried out their probe into the death of Leiland-James. 

He said: "The initial incident reported to the police was that it had been a tragic accident, but obviously the responding paramedics and other professionals quickly raised concern about the account given about how Leiland-James sustained significant injuries.

"That turned very quickly from being an accident to a suspicious set of circumstances that turned into an investigation.

"The injuries Leland-James suffered were catastrophic and weren't reflective of how they had been explained by Laura Castle.

"That in itself stood out, that what we were dealing with here wasn't the reality of what we were being told by Laura Castle."

TRAGEDY: Leiland-James Corkill

During the trial, jurors were told how Castle had sent a number of messages to her husband telling him she had 'leathered' Leiland-James and describing him using derogatory terms.

"The medical information was received and Laura Castle was arrested and interviewed and then part of that investigation was that she had a mobile phone seized and examined," DS Pattinson said.

"And then whilst in custody, we identified a number of disturbing and upsetting text messages outlining that Leiland-James had suffered from abuse for a number of months prior to his death."

Castle, 38, initially told family Leiland-James had fallen from the sofa at home just as she had left the room.

Interviewed by police, she changed this story, telling officers he had in fact fallen from her lap as she got up from the sofa, hitting his head on the floor.

Laura Castle interviewed in January 2021

She changed her story again in court when she admitted shaking Leiland-James to death.

DS Pattinson said: "Laura Castle gave an initial account that Leiland-James had fallen off the sofa and while she was going to do the breakfast pots, but then in interview changed that account.

"Because you've got those medical experts telling you the injuries Leiland-James has are so significant they wouldn't expect them to be caused in the circumstances outlined by Laura Castle, you sat there knowing that she's not being truthful with her accounts."

Finding the truth was 'priority' for force

The detective also described why it took around 10 months for Laura Castle to be charged with murder. 

"Laura Castle was arrested initially after the incident and then she was interviewed on number of occasions," he said. 

"In regards to all of these types of investigations you rely upon medical professional and experts. 

"So you're waiting for that medical expert opinion to enable you to proceed to the next phase of your investigation."

DS Pattinson described how the investigation was a priority for Cumbria Police.

"It was given the effective number of resources it needed, and the attention it needed throughout," he said.

"It was a priority. 

"It's a rare event, isn't it, for a child to be murdered in these circumstances.

"And it was down to the number of resources and the diligence and professionalism of those resources that we were able to get the result."

QUESTIONED: Laura Castle interviewed by police in November 2021

Confronted with evidence in police interviews later in 2021, Castle refused to answer questions put to her by detectives.

"She comes in and gives an account and then shuts down with a secondary interview," he said.

"After we've got all those medical reports back and we know what the situation is she decides to go no comment."

'A liar'

DS Pattinson said he was pleased at how Castle had been brought to justice and described the impression she left on officers during the investigation. 

PROBE: DS David Pattinson

He said: "She's a liar, she's self centred and she's focused on her attempts to get away with her actions. 

"At no point as we sit here today has she actually ever been 100 per cent honest with the reality of what happened in that house on that tragic day.

"You don't want someone like Laura Castle and her outlook on what she classes as parenting being in any way associated or near any other children in future.

"Laura Castle showed her true colours throughout the investigation.

"She's a horrible human being for me - to subject a defenceless little baby boy to that abuse throughout that period and ultimately end up killing him and never want to be honest."