Edinburgh duo guilty of killing son in Tenerife

Corinna Reid, 35, and her former partner Robert Cormack, 40, were both convicted of the manslaughter of toddler Aiden in 2007.

But they were cleared of the more serious charge of homicide – which carried a sentence of up to 14 years.

Aiden died in January 2007 at the Paraiso Floral Hotel in the popular resort of Adeje. His death was originally blamed on bronchitis.

After the verdict prosecutors asked the judge to jail the couple for two and a half years.

But their defence team asked for a lesser sentence of six months, bearing in mind the mitigating circumstances and the time the case had taken to come to court.

Spanish detectives asked their Scottish counterparts to arrest his parents at their home in Edinburgh in January 2009 after toxicology tests showed traces of heroin substitute methadone and an anti-depressant in his body.

Cormack did not oppose extradition and was sent back to Spain, where he was remanded in custody.

Reid, a cook, fought extradition but was sent back to Tenerife, despite telling Edinburgh Sheriff Court that Aiden’s father had confessed to leaving drugs around their hotel room within reach of their son.

She was freed on bail ahead of the start of the trial on Monday but told she must stay on the island.

Leaked documents later revealed Cormack, a former heroin addict, had told Spanish judges his son had ingested the drugs accidentally mixed up in a glass of orange juice.

But the jury agreed unanimously – after four hours of deliberations – that the couple had consciously given their son methadone and diazepam. But they accepted his parents could not have known about the potentially lethal combination of his bronchitis and the drugs.

They were allowed to leave court on bail and declined to comment. They are due to be sentenced next month

Cormack’s defence lawyer Mari Angeles Conde previously said Aiden’s death was an “accident”. “My client had no intention of killing his son.”

Reid’s lawyer has said “There is absolutely no evidence of any negligence or

irresponsible behaviour on Corinna’s part.”