https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...r-admit-starving-two-year-old-girl-death.htmlA mother and her partner have admitted starving a two-year-old toddler to death at a filthy flat in Scotland.
Margaret Wade, 38, and Marie Sweeney, 37, left Lauren Wade without proper food or care for months before the youngster died in hospital in March 2015.
A court heard how Lauren was dirty, severely underweight and riddled with head lice in a flat described by one detective as the worst he had ever seen.
Prosecutor Bill McVicar said the case involved 'the same basic ill treatment and neglect' of Lauren and two other children, who survived.
This included not keeping the youngsters clean as well as not providing proper food, clothes and medical care.
Mr McVicar said: 'The most significant effect of the failure to provide a proper diet is the malnutrition of Lauren which caused complications leading to her death.'
The court heard Lauren was 'plainly unwell' and 'emaciated' for days before she died.
She was rushed to hospital after she was found 'unresponsive' on March 20, 2015, but was pronounced dead just 30 minutes later.
Tiny Lauren was described as 'skinny, dirty and unkempt' at the time, and also had a sodden nappy, bald patches and 'thousands' of head lice.
Mr McVicar said: 'Paramedics later noticed that the cover she had been lying on was covered in lice and fleas. They had to clean and decontaminate the ambulance.'
Wade told nurses Lauren had been suffering from a virus for a couple of days.
Mr McVicar said: 'She kept her hood up to disguise her own infestation of head lice. She appeared dirty and smelled of body odour.'
The jobless duo were later charged by police - after Wade said she had 'no guilt' over the death - and the pair today faced a culpable homicide allegation at the High Court in Glasgow.
But prosecutors accepted their guilty pleas to an amended charge of the wilful ill-treatment and neglect of Lauren. They also admitted to the same crime in connection with the other two children.
Police probed the horrific living conditions Lauren and the other children had been subjected to. One detective who later viewed the Foutainwell Drive flat branded it 'one of the most disgusting houses' he had visited in his police career.
The court heard it was littered with rubbish, leftover food, dirty plates and clothes. There were also 'hundreds' of insects and flies due to the stinking mess.
