Amanda Hutton was convicted by a jury following five hours of deliberations at Bradford Crown Court yesterday.
The 43-year-old mother-of-eight claimed that son Hamzah Khan starved himself, was a fussy eater and a difficult child, and that she thought he would put on weight when he got older.
However the jury heard that Hutton was a ‘nasty drunk’ who starved, punished and neglected the youngster.
The 4-year-old was found wearing a sleepsuit for a six to nine-month-old baby
The boy’s daily diet reportedly consisted of milk, half a banana and half a supermarket pasty.
Hamzah’s mummified body was found in a cot two years after he died in December 2009, wearing a soiled nappy and a sleepsuit for a six to nine-month-old baby, which was said to fit him comfortably.
Hutton said she she did not know what to do after her son died, and was reportedly advised by her eldest son Tariq Khan, 24, not to report it to police.
He has been charged with charged with one count of preventing the lawful and decent burial of a body.
Hutton, a former care worker, was known to police after suffering domestic violence at the hands of her estranged partner, Aftab Khan. She was placed on a West Yorkshire Police register of abuse victims at the highest level of risk.
'Police found themselves knee-deep in fast food boxes, faeces and empty vodka bottles'
Following his arrest for attacking Hutton in 2008, Aftab Khan repeatedly asked officers to check Hamzah to see ‘how undernourished he is’.
When Hamzah’s body was found, conditions in the house- in which 5 children from the age of 5 to 13 live, had deteriorated so badly, that police found themselves knee-deep in fast food boxes, faeces and empty vodka bottles.
The bathroom sink was covered in vomit and the fridge contained nothing other than rotten food and ready meals for which the best before date had expired five months earlier.
The tragic story has raised concerns over why social workers, police, schools and the GP- who struck the child off their list for non-attendance, failed to notice signs of neglect earlier.
Professor Nick Frost of Bradford Safeguarding Children Board (BSCB) said:
‘This is a tragic case for everyone involved.
‘BSCB initiated a serious case review following the discovery of Hamzah's body and the report will be published after the court, coronial and other necessary procedures are completed.
‘The main aim of the report is to make sure all agencies involved learn lessons and change working practices where necessary.
‘However, given the refusal of all offers of help that would be offered to any mother and the lack of serious concerns raised from any other source, there was limited involvement from statutory agencies.’
Hutton was today sentenced to 15 years for manslaughter, charges of cruelty to her remaining five school-age offspring and failure to dispose adequately of a body.