Parents Accused of Neglect as Son Dies from Undiagnosed Diabetes
A tragic case is unfolding in Birmingham, where two teachers stand accused of child cruelty and gross negligence manslaughter following the death of their 12-year-old son, Joshua. Prosecutors allege that Damion Thomas, 48, and Tamara Thomas, 45, failed to seek vital medical intervention for their son, who was suffering from undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes.
The court heard a harrowing account of Joshua’s final hours. In the early morning of December 9, 2022, the homeschooled boy collapsed while attempting to reach the downstairs toilet, ultimately wetting himself. This incident, which occurred around 4 am, is considered a critical turning point by the prosecution.
Prosecutor Miranda Moore KC told the jury that the defendants should have immediately sought medical assistance after Joshua’s collapse. However, the court was informed that Damion Thomas left for work later that morning. It wasn’t until 12:43 pm that Tamara Thomas finally summoned help, by which time Joshua’s condition had severely deteriorated. His lips had turned white, foam was present around his mouth, and his breathing had become alarmingly faint. Joshua tragically passed away at Birmingham Children’s Hospital in the early hours of the following day.
The prosecution highlighted that both parents should have recognised the warning signs of diabetes, particularly as the condition runs in the family. Damion Thomas himself has Type 1 diabetes, a fact the jury was told should have made them more attuned to the potential severity of Joshua’s symptoms. Joshua was suffering from untreated and undiagnosed Type 1 diabetes, which led to a life-threatening condition known as diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), a state requiring urgent medical attention.
Both Damion and Tamara Thomas were certified teachers, although neither was in full-time employment at the time of Joshua’s death. Damion Thomas had previously held a safeguarding role at Solihull Academy and was reportedly on a path to returning to teaching.
The court heard that the parents harboured a deep distrust of Birmingham Children’s Hospital, leading to an attitude of actively avoiding medical intervention for their family. Ms Moore presented evidence suggesting Joshua exhibited clear symptoms in the days and hours leading up to his collapse. These included asking for sweet drinks, lethargy, and unexplained weight loss. The 4 am incident, where he was too weak to reach the toilet and wet himself, was a significant indicator that something was seriously wrong. By 9 am, he was unable to walk downstairs and appeared to be either asleep or in a coma on the sofa.
Ms Moore emphasised the parents’ awareness of diabetes symptoms. She stated, “Both parents knew the symptoms of diabetes. Mr. Thomas lived through it. Mrs. Thomas had seen her husband with it. At 4 am they would have both recognised what he was exhibiting.” The prosecution argued that the couple fully understood the dangers of untreated diabetes, yet their response was inaction.
The prosecutor outlined the events of the morning: “Damion goes off to work, makes no checks on his son. Despite the number of times Tamara rang him, he didn’t answer the phone.” The court heard that Tamara Thomas eventually spoke to her husband, informing him that Joshua was unresponsive, moments before she called for an ambulance. However, Mr. Thomas later told police he was unaware of the extent of his son’s critical condition until he returned home and found paramedics present.
Ms Moore questioned the actions of the parents: “What parent doesn’t check on their sick child? What parent doesn’t come home when their sick child is unresponsive? What parent does something else instead of coming home knowing his wife is about to call 999 for an ambulance?” It is believed Joshua may have slipped into a coma on the sofa that morning, a state his mother initially mistook for sleep.
Doctors at the children’s hospital later concluded that brain damage, caused by cardiac arrest, had made Joshua’s death inevitable.
During her statement, Tamara Thomas reportedly expressed distress and regret, wishing she had taken Joshua to the hospital that morning instead of waiting for her husband. She reiterated that Joshua had been unresponsive that morning and that she believed he was asleep, but in all probability, he was in a coma.
The couple was arrested approximately a month after Joshua’s death. In her police interview, Mrs. Thomas stated that Joshua had been unwell for about a fortnight. She described him as “not looking right” and “not himself” when he awoke at 4 am on December 9. She acknowledged a change in his condition at 4 am, noting his weakness and the accident. However, she admitted she wasn’t “so worried about phoning an ambulance there and then… she didn’t recognise what was wrong with him.”
The court was informed that Joshua had refused water that morning and had remained on the sofa from 9 am. Mrs. Thomas only became significantly concerned in the early afternoon when she realised he was not breathing. She then called her husband, urging him to come home and take their son to the hospital. The 999 call was made when Joshua’s lips turned white.
In contrast, the prosecutor described Mr. Thomas as “obstructive” during his interview, providing “blunt and quite bullish” answers. When asked if Joshua had needed medical assistance at 4 am, he reportedly replied, “I’m not a doctor.”
The jury heard that Joshua had been a “lively and energetic” boy who joined the Sparkhill Harriers running club in early 2022, where he was remembered as “articulate, bright and fairly competitive.” His parents had claimed he had been suffering from cold-like symptoms for around two weeks prior to his collapse.
Both Damion and Tamara Thomas have pleaded not guilty to the charges of child cruelty and gross negligence manslaughter. The trial is ongoing.
