11-month-old Theo drowned in the bath while his parents were making phone calls

An 11-month-old boy drowned in a bath after being left unsupervised by his parents for 11 minutes as they made phone calls, an inquest heard. An ambulance was called to a house in Benchill, Wythenshawe, at 9.36am on October 27, 2020, to reports an infant was 'unresponsive'.

Theo Taylor-Maloney was taken to Wythenshawe Hospital, but his death was later confirmed. His mother Jessica Taylor had left him to make a call to her mother about obtaining a provisional driving licence, while his father Michael Maloney was on the phone to a credit union, a coroner heard.

Both admitted allowing or causing the death of a child in criminal proceedings and were handed suspended sentences, the inquest was told.

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In a statement read to Manchester Coroners' Court, Theo's mother Ms Taylor, now 29, said: "Theo was a kind and loving and caring little boy who always had a smile on his face. He was a very happy and bubbly boy who brought so much joy to everyone. He never failed to put a smile on anyone's face." He was a 'very clever little boy' who loved playing with his sisters, she added.

Theo drowned in the bath after he and his two older sisters were left unattended in the bath, coroner Zak Golombeck concluded. Giving evidence, Ms Taylor said Theo was her third child and that by the time of his death, he had two older sisters. The inquest heard Ms Taylor has since had a fourth child.

Questioned by area coroner for Manchester Zak Golombek, Ms Taylor said children's services were involved around the time of Theo's birth and that she was regularly visited by a health visitor. She said she recalled she had advice from the health visitor about