**Mum Receives Suspended Sentence After Baby Dies in Car Crash Due to Unfastened Seat Straps**
A mother from Essex has been convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence following the death of her six-month-old son, who was ejected from a car during an accident because his safety seat was not properly secured. The tragic incident, which took place in July 2022, has prompted fresh calls for greater vigilance regarding child safety on UK roads.
Morgan Kiely, who was 19 years old at the time of the crash, had spent an afternoon drinking Prosecco at Clacton beach with a friend, Stevie Steel, and her infant son, Harry. As the group left the beach, the subsequent events would lead to the devastating loss of young Harry’s life.
According to details heard at Chelmsford Crown Court, Kiely was a passenger in the Ford Focus driven by Steel, who was later found to have been over the drink-drive limit. Harry was situated on the back seat behind his mother. It later emerged Harry’s car seat straps had not been properly fastened, a factor which would prove fatal when the vehicle overturned after striking a parked car.
The car rolled over on Cherry Tree Avenue while travelling within the designated 30mph speed limit. Though the two women remained suspended safely within the vehicle by their seatbelts, Harry was thrown out of an open window. He suffered a critical skull fracture and, despite immediate aid from members of the public—including a retired paediatric nurse—he died in hospital that night.
The court heard that, earlier, Steel and Kiely had declined an offer of a lift from the beach by Steel’s former partner, Mitchell Bassett, who was concerned about their intentions to continue drinking. Judge Robert Jay remarked during sentencing that Kiely should have recognised the danger of travelling with someone so obviously unfit to drive, stating, “Alarm bells should have been ringing in your head at that point. A mother should not agree to travel with a drunk driver.”
Kiely elected not to give evidence during the trial, but a key expert stated it was “highly likely” that the seat straps had not been fastened—an error which left Harry exposed when the accident occurred. Photographic evidence, 999 calls, police footage, and testimony from Mr Bassett were all considered by the jury over the course of deliberations.
Addressing Kiely in court, Judge Jay acknowledged her usually conscientious approach to motherhood, describing the failure to secure Harry as a “singleton lapse” in an otherwise commendable record. He told her, “Harry’s safety was your responsibility. It should have been your primary concern that day.” The judge noted the struggle of weighing such a significant failing in the context of Kiely’s otherwise loving relationship with her son.
Ultimately, Kiely—now 22 and herself the mother of a new baby—was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended for two years. The court also heard character testimony submitted by her defence, who described her as a “devoted and loving mother” who had shown deep remorse for her actions, and who had previously cared for Harry as a dedicated parent.
Steel, the driver of the vehicle, had already pleaded guilty to causing death by careless driving while exceeding the drink-drive limit. The judge highlighted that, while rollovers such as this one are extremely rare at moderate speeds, the appalling outcome emphasised the absolute necessity of following road safety guidance, particularly when transporting children.
This heart-breaking case stands as a stark reminder to all parents and carers about the importance of correctly securing children when travelling by car. Safety experts reiterate that even minor lapses in vigilance can have fatal consequences. The hope remains that Harry’s story will serve as a sobering lesson, reinforcing the message that safeguarding children must always be paramount.