London:
An alcoholic mother of eight children; left her four-year-old son to starve to death. She did not report his death to the police and his mummified body was found two years later in a cot.
She was today jailed for 15 years.
Amanda Hutton, 43, was found guilty of the manslaughter of Hamzah at Bradford Crown Court yesterday. She was sentenced today for manslaughter, child neglect and preventing the burial of her dead son's body.
Hamzah died in December 2009 due to severe malnutrition. His mummified remains were found in squalid conditions at their Bradford family home 21 months later.
The judge said Hutton posed a "real danger" to children, adding that she had shown a "terrible failure to fulfil the most basic responsibility; in short you starved Hamzah to death".
Roger Thomas, the Recorder of Bradford, also noted how Hutton had kept the death of her son secret saying: "Your deviousness was to keep various agencies away from you and your children.
Hamzah's body was found in a cot in Hutton's Bradford bedroom in September 201. Five other school-age children were also at the time living in the house, which was in a decrepit state.
The court heard that the four-year-old died in December 2009 due to malnutrition as a result of his mother's alcoholism and neglect.
The boy's body was found after an inexperienced police community support officer became concerned about children at the house while she was investigating reports of soiled nappies being thrown into a neighbour's garden.
The officers were also faced with an overwhelming smell coming from ankle-deep rubbish in the house, including vodka bottles and rotting food.
Hutton's eldest son, Tariq Khan, 24, admitted to preventing Hamzah's burial and received a two-year jail sentence, suspended for two years.
Hutton showed no emotion as she was led from the dock, the report said.