Baby death remains unexplained after four years

Police have been criticised after their four-year investigation into the death of a one-year-old baby failed to establish how he died.

The parents of Ralphie Payne had asked their friends who lived in Colchester to babysit him for the night so they could tackle mould at their house.

However, the baby was found not breathing in his pushchair the following morning on 14 August 2022, an inquest in Chelmsford heard.

Recording an open conclusion, area coroner Michelle Brown said Essex Police had apologised for the delay, but she remained "disappointed" in the force.

Officers initially arrested the couple looking after Ralphie, in Geoff Seaden Close, on suspicion of manslaughter and child neglect; however, those charges were dropped years later.

The force said this was due to a "substantial investigation" which brought "unavoidable" waits.

Brown said: "It is very sad that it has taken this amount of time.

"There's not been any closure for the family, and also the neighbours who were looking after him, [who] were arrested at the time.

"I do express my disappointment, shall we say, about how long this has taken. They cannot say how this baby died."

The inquest at Essex Coroner's Court heard the Payne family's neighbours had checked on him 10 minutes before they found him not breathing at 10:22 BST.

He was declared dead by paramedics 19 minutes later, the court was told.

There were eight children in the property, including Ralphie's three young siblings aged five, three and two, the coroner said.

Brown added that Ralphie had spent the night before sleeping on a mattress in a room with "poor ventilation" and no curtains.

She said there was a risk of him overheating, but no evidence of neglect, choking or any historical health issues.

Ralphie was being cared for at the house as his parents "wanted a break" and time to sort "some property problems".

Brown ruled the cause of his death could not be ascertained and shared her sympathies with the Payne family.

She added: "Hopefully, now, this should give them some closure after nearly four years."

A spokesman for Essex Police said: "Specialist officers continue to support the child's parents, and our thoughts remain with them at this difficult time."

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