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| Pair cleared of boy's salt death | Pair cleared of boy's salt death |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| A couple have been cleared of killing a boy they wanted to adopt who was found with high salt levels in his blood. | |
| Christian Blewitt, three, collapsed at the couple's home in Bromsgrove, Worcs, in December 2002 and later died. | Christian Blewitt, three, collapsed at the couple's home in Bromsgrove, Worcs, in December 2002 and later died. |
| Ian and Angela Gay, of Halesowen, West Midlands, have been found not guilty of manslaughter and child cruelty. | Ian and Angela Gay, of Halesowen, West Midlands, have been found not guilty of manslaughter and child cruelty. |
| The pair had previously been convicted of his manslaughter, but had won a retrial because of new medical evidence about the high salt levels. | The pair had previously been convicted of his manslaughter, but had won a retrial because of new medical evidence about the high salt levels. |
| Time in jail | Time in jail |
| Prosecutors at Nottingham Crown Court had claimed the couple had force-fed salt to the boy as a form of punishment. | Prosecutors at Nottingham Crown Court had claimed the couple had force-fed salt to the boy as a form of punishment. |
| But the pair's defence team argued a rare medical condition caused Christian's body to store toxic levels of salt. | But the pair's defence team argued a rare medical condition caused Christian's body to store toxic levels of salt. |
| Two years ago the couple were jailed for five years after being convicted of manslaughter. | Two years ago the couple were jailed for five years after being convicted of manslaughter. |
| They served 15 months of that sentence before a retrial was ordered in April last year and the couple were released on bail. | They served 15 months of that sentence before a retrial was ordered in April last year and the couple were released on bail. |
| Why were salt levels high? Christian was just five weeks into a 13-week trial adoption with the couple when he collapsed. | Why were salt levels high? Christian was just five weeks into a 13-week trial adoption with the couple when he collapsed. |
| After four days in intensive care, he died at Birmingham Children's Hospital and tests showed the high sodium levels. | After four days in intensive care, he died at Birmingham Children's Hospital and tests showed the high sodium levels. |
| The couple's retrial was told that in the hours leading up to the boy's collapse, Christian had been sent to bed as a punishment for not eating his lunch. He was later found comatose in the bedroom. | The couple's retrial was told that in the hours leading up to the boy's collapse, Christian had been sent to bed as a punishment for not eating his lunch. He was later found comatose in the bedroom. |
| Prosecutors had said he had collapsed because the couple had force-fed him salt because of his misbehaviour. | Prosecutors had said he had collapsed because the couple had force-fed him salt because of his misbehaviour. |
| They had also manhandled the boy, the prosecution argued, shaking him or throwing him on to a mattress so as to cause the bruising to his head. | They had also manhandled the boy, the prosecution argued, shaking him or throwing him on to a mattress so as to cause the bruising to his head. |