A COUPLE whose baby son drowned in the bath while they were downstairs at their home in Tenbury have both been jailed.

Wayne Dale and Lisa Passey were found guilty of manslaughter by gross negligence earlier this month after a two-week trial at Worcester Crown Court.

They returned to the same court for sentencing today.

Dale, aged 44, now living at an address in Malvern, has been jailed for four-and-a-half years.

Passey, aged 28, of Kyreside, in Tenbury, has been jailed for four years.

The jury at their trial was told that baby Kian, who was 13 months old, died in the bath at the home the former couple shared at Kyreside, Tenbury, on the evening of Saturday, September 26, 2015.

Dale left his son in a bath seat when a friend, Jeanette Morgan, visited the house.

While downstairs, he burned a CD of UB40 at Ms Morgan’s request. Evidence showed his laptop had been in use between 5.33pm and 5.46pm, though not who had been using it.

When he went back upstairs he found his son submerged in the bath, scooped him out and ran downstairs screaming.

An air ambulance took Kian to Birmingham Children's Hospital but all efforts at resuscitation failed and he was pronounced dead at 8.17pm.

He told the jury had had thought Passey had gone upstairs to take over the bathtime.

Passey said she had run the bath but denied at any stage taking over the bathing of their son from Dale.

The court heard that Dale, a father of seven, had 14 previous convictions for 38 offences dating back to 1989 and had previously been jailed for burglary.

Passey was said to have cautions but no previous convictions or experience of custody. Following a flood at the house in Kyreside, she has now made temporary arrangements for accommodation.

Speaking after the sentencing, Detective Inspector Justin Taylor, of West Mercia Police, said: "This has been a tragic case.

"Kian should have had the opportunity to enjoy his bath time whilst under the care of his mother or father, however both Wayne Dale and Lisa Passey chose to leave him in a bath unsupervised upstairs for a significant period of time while they socialised downstairs.

"Their neglectful actions meant that Kian lost his life.

"Kian's death is a stark reminder that babies and young children must never be left unattended in a bath. Even a couple of inches of water can be enough for a child to drown.

"Bath seats do not offer sufficient support and a child can easily slip under the water if not constantly supervised."

An NSPCC spokesman said: "These parents abandoned their responsibility to keep their child safe from harm - with devastating consequences.

"Parents must be aware of the dangers of leaving their children alone, and assess the risks of each scenario before they make a decision.

"There is a variety of advice on the NSPCC website about when it is appropriate to leave a child on their own, and anyone concerned about a child can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000."