Birmingham Parents Jailed After 12-Year-Old Son Dies From Untreated Type 1 Diabetes

Two Birmingham parents have been jailed after their 12-year-old son died from untreated Type 1 diabetes, with a judge concluding that an ingrained belief that they “knew best” contributed to their failure to seek urgent medical help.

Tamara Thomas, 46, was sentenced to three years and nine months’ imprisonment after a jury convicted her of gross negligence manslaughter. Her husband, Damion Thomas, 48, was jailed for two years and nine months after being found guilty of child cruelty.

Birmingham Crown Court heard that their son Joshua died in December 2022 after developing diabetic ketoacidosis, a serious and potentially fatal complication of undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes.

Sentencing the couple, Mrs Justice Cutts said Joshua’s death was “entirely preventable” and that urgent medical assistance should have been sought hours before he collapsed at the family home in Kings Heath.

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The court heard Joshua had become increasingly thirsty and was drinking excessive amounts of fluid in the days before his death. By around 4am on December 9, he was so weak that he could not reach the bathroom without help.

The judge said both parents should have recognised the need for urgent treatment by that stage.

“Had he been treated at this time, death could have been prevented,” she said.

No ambulance was called and Joshua’s condition continued to worsen throughout the morning. A 999 call was eventually made shortly before 1pm. He was taken to Birmingham Children’s Hospital but died the following day.

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Mrs Justice Cutts said the case was not one involving parents who did not care about their children, describing both defendants as previously hardworking, educated and of good character.

However, she said the evidence showed the family had become excessively self-reliant and reluctant to seek help.

“You were distrustful of others, perceiving slights when none existed and believing you knew best,” she said.

“You didn’t seek help when it was obviously needed.”

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The court heard Damion Thomas had himself been diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes several years earlier. Medical experts said Joshua’s symptoms would ordinarily have prompted parents to seek medical attention, even if they had not recognised the underlying condition.

In mitigation, Damion Thomas’s barrister said he was devastated by his son’s death. Tamara Thomas told the court she loved her son and believed she had acted in his best interests.

Passing sentence, Mrs Justice Cutts described the case as “in every sense a tragedy” but said Joshua’s death could have been avoided if medical help had been sought sooner.