Crime reporter(wp/es):
A man killed his toddler son by force-feeding him a mixture of bread and cereal.
The three-year-old "drowned in his food" after he was forced to lie across his father's lap while the porridge-like mixture was poured into his mouth from a cup.
The 32-year-old parent, from north-west London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty by a majority verdict of manslaughter and cruelty to a child at the Old Bailey.
Prosecutor Simon Denison QC had told the jury that the defendant would slap his son or send him to bed on occasions when he vomited during feeding sessions.
On November 27 last year, he called for an ambulance and paramedics arrived to find the child lying on the floor in a nappy, showing no signs of life.
Mr Denison said: "There was a very large amount of vomit that looked like a porridge substance on his face and on his chest and not the floor.
"It was very difficult to clear his airway because of the amount of porridge-like substance that was in his throat. When CPR was attempted, more of the substance came out."
He added: "A post-mortem examination revealed that virtually all sections of his lungs were stuffed with recognisable food material.
"He had aspirated, inhaled, breathed in, a large amount of the porridge-like mix into his lungs so that he had, in effect, drowned in his food."
The defendant was remanded in custody to be sentenced by Mr Justice Singh at the Old Bailey tomorrow.
An NSPCC spokesman said: "This is a tragic, shocking and desperately sad case.
"It goes without saying that the child concerned died in the most horrific way and at the hands of a man who should have cared for, loved and protected him.
"The fact the father continued to force feed the child even though his distress would have been obvious is heart-breaking and hard to comprehend."
A man killed his toddler son by force-feeding him a mixture of bread and cereal.
The three-year-old "drowned in his food" after he was forced to lie across his father's lap while the porridge-like mixture was poured into his mouth from a cup.
The 32-year-old parent, from north-west London, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was found guilty by a majority verdict of manslaughter and cruelty to a child at the Old Bailey.
Prosecutor Simon Denison QC had told the jury that the defendant would slap his son or send him to bed on occasions when he vomited during feeding sessions.
On November 27 last year, he called for an ambulance and paramedics arrived to find the child lying on the floor in a nappy, showing no signs of life.
Mr Denison said: "There was a very large amount of vomit that looked like a porridge substance on his face and on his chest and not the floor.
"It was very difficult to clear his airway because of the amount of porridge-like substance that was in his throat. When CPR was attempted, more of the substance came out."
He added: "A post-mortem examination revealed that virtually all sections of his lungs were stuffed with recognisable food material.
"He had aspirated, inhaled, breathed in, a large amount of the porridge-like mix into his lungs so that he had, in effect, drowned in his food."
The defendant was remanded in custody to be sentenced by Mr Justice Singh at the Old Bailey tomorrow.
An NSPCC spokesman said: "This is a tragic, shocking and desperately sad case.
"It goes without saying that the child concerned died in the most horrific way and at the hands of a man who should have cared for, loved and protected him.
"The fact the father continued to force feed the child even though his distress would have been obvious is heart-breaking and hard to comprehend."
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