Mother Starved Her Son to Death and Mummified his Corpse for Two years

Amanda Hutton, 43, starved her 4-year-old son, Hamzah Khan to death and then lived with his mummified corpse in her bedroom for two years.

Hamzah died as a result of malnutrition, his growth had been so stunted that he was still wearing a baby-gro meant for an infant six to nine months old when he was found.

Within hours of his death, she ordered a pizza. She continued to claim child benefit in his name. Bradford Crown Court heard his mother went on with her life while his body decayed.

 The prosecutor, Paul Greaney QC said: ‘How had a child starved to death in 21st century England?

‘The prosecution case is simple – Amanda Hutton failed to provide her child with the nourishment that he needed to survive and, in so failing, she killed him. Hamzah’s growth had been stunted because he was malnourished over a lengthy period and that state of affairs had resulted in his death. In short, he starved to death.’

Mr Greaney said that after Hamzah’s death on December 15, 2009, former care assistant Hutton placed him in his cot beside a teddy.

The body was found when two PCSOs visited her home in Crofton Road, Bradford, to investigate complaints of dirty nappies thrown into a neighbour’s garden.

On getting to her house they immediately noticed a stench in the house and alerted social services and senior police.

Mr Greaney said the house had ‘overwhelming conditions of squalor’ with piles of rubbish, faeces, rotting matter and flies.‘Furthermore, in the bedroom of Amanda Hutton a police officer found the mummified corpse of a child. That child was Hamzah Khan, who had been born over six years earlier.’

During Amanda's interviews with the police she said Hamzah had become very ill on December 14, 2009. He was near death and she was unable to revive him.

‘She made no call for assistance – for a doctor or an ambulance. Within hours she was ordering a pizza.

‘So, no call for assistance but a call, or even calls, for pizza. Moreover, she thereafter continued to claim child benefit in respect of her dead son.’

Amanda is on trial accused of manslaughter by gross negligence on two grounds – failing to feed her son adequately and failing to seek medical help for him when it was needed. She denies the charge.

Baby, Hamzah Khan

Amanda Hutton, an alcoholic and marijuana smoker

Inside the house was found in disgustful state