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A man who designed a cot in which a seven-month-old "choked to death" has pleaded guilty to failing to discharge the employer's general duty.

Oscar Abbey was found by his “devastated dad” with his head trapped in the holes on the side of the £610 cot bed in November 2016, a court heard.

Craig Williams, who designed and built the bespoke cot bed, made the plea at Leeds Crown Court where he has been on trial for manslaughter by gross negligence and fraud.

The 37-year-old boss of Sheffield-based Playtime Beds Limited had denied both charges following the boy's death.

But a jury was today asked to return a not guilty verdict to the manslaughter charge following the two-week trial as Williams entered two guilty pleas.

(Image: SWNS.com)

The trial heard how Oscar's mum Shannon Abbey and dad Charlie Abbey, from York, bought the bunkbed for Oscar and his two year old brother Maxwell in October 2016.

Maxwell, who slept on the top “loved it” and was “really excited” about his top bunk which had stairs to climb up and a slide for the exit.

He was joined by his little brother who slept in the cot bed below which had doors with holes in, the jury was told.

But five days after Oscar started using the bed, on November 3, 2016, “tragedy” struck.

The court heard how Oscar's dad realised his head had become stuck when he went to check on the boys before he left for work.

In a statement read to court, he said: “It looked like he tried to crawl out backwards but his head was stuck.

(Image: Huddersfield Examiner)

“As I got closer and I crouched down next to him...I thought to myself 'he was wriggling out backwards'.

“I reached down and could feel he was very cold. I put one arm under him and the other on the side of the bed and threaded his body back through the hole.

“As I did so I turned him around and when I saw his face...I instantly realised he was gone.”

Prosecutor John Elvidge QC added: “During the course of the night be wriggled his body through the holes at the front of his cot bed but his head was too big to fit through, in effect he choked to death. He was starved of oxygen."

Shannon paid a total of £655 with delivery and installation for the bed.

The court heard she'd emailed Williams to ask: “What age is the lower bed suitable for?' to which he replied “Any age”.

But the trial was told the bed had 116mm holes which were bigger than safety standards, so they were large enough for Oscar to fit his hips through but not his head.

A jury heard how Williams, who “partially copied” designs from templates found on the internet, made around three beds a week for three years - 450 beds in total, the prosecutor said.

Williams also pleaded guilty to fraud and will be sentenced on Friday.