Tragic Toddler Left Alone in Dark Home Dies After Being Hit by Taxi
Wendy Hall, 33, left her young son Malakye locked alone at home with no gas or electricity while she visited her partner. The little boy managed to unlock the door, wandered onto a busy Bradford city centre road, and was fatally struck by a taxi.
Little Boy Left in Darkness
The court heard that popular schoolboy Malakye was left alone in a dark, locked house on Lindley Road, Bradford, West Yorkshire, on the night of August 11 last year. With only his mum’s mobile phone to play with, he managed to escape the property around 10pm. Tragically, he was run over on Manchester Road, a main city route.
Police found the damaged phone in Malakye’s pockets at the crash scene. The house was discovered dark and with its door open. Hall was tracked down at her partner’s home and taken to Bradford Royal Infirmary to identify her son’s body.
Mum Admits Leaving Son Alone
“She told officers she had left the door to the premises locked so that Malakye could not go out,”
said prosecutor Abigail Langford.
Hall had moved out to live with her sister but returned to Lindley Road to collect belongings, planning to take Malakye to her partner’s house. However, the boy refused to go, leaving him alone in the dark home Hall believed he could not escape from.
The Crown accused Hall of a deliberate disregard for Malakye’s welfare, calling it a conscious decision to leave him in a house without electricity or gas.
Sentenced to Jail for Neglect
Hall pleaded guilty to neglect and was jailed for three years. She also received an additional 18 months for unrelated offences.
Solicitor Saf Salam revealed Hall, who has no previous convictions, suffers from bipolar disorder and long-term depression and anxiety. He argued her mental illness should reduce her culpability.
“I have no reason to doubt you locked the door to stop him getting out but as we know he did with those tragic consequences,”
Recorder Tahir Khan QC told Hall.
“This is category one harm. The deliberate act of leaving Malakye alone and vulnerable resulted in his death.”
Malakye was remembered as a “happy and funny” child with a “bright smile,” a heartbreaking loss to his family and community.
