Couple guilty over son's death after giving him maple syrup and garlic to cure meningitis

They believed their baby had croup or flu and attempted to treat him with herbal remedies

Ezekiel died of meningitis at 19 months old (Facebook/Prayers for Ezekiel)

A Canadian couple who attempted to treat their baby son’s meningitis with herbal remedies have been convicted over his death.

David Stephan, 32, and his wife Collet Stephan, 35, have been found guilty of “failing to provide the necessaries of life” to their 19-month-old son Ezekiel, who died in 2012.

The couple, from Alberta, had testified they believed their son had contracted croup or flu, CBC reports.

They treated him for two-and-a-half weeks with a mixture of home remedies, including water with maple syrup, hot peppers, garlic, onions and horseradish.

The court heard that at one point Mrs Stephan had driven Ezekiel to a naturopathic clinic in the province to pick up an Echinacea mixture, but the toddler had been too stiff to sit in his car seat and had to lie on a mattress in the car.

A family friend who is a nurse told the family they thought Ezekiel had meningitis, CTVNews reports.

Ezekiel was rushed to hospital in Cardston when he stopped breathing, before being flown to the Alberta Children’s Hospital in Calgary, where he was diagnosed with bacterial meningitis and neurological dysfunction. He had been discovered to have little brain activity and died after being taken off life support.

The couple declined to comment when leaving court, but Mrs Stephan broke down in tears when the verdict was read out.

Mr Stephan’s brother-in-law, Eric Sveinson, told CBC outside court that “we’re very disheartened and disappointed, and I hope the world can see that a beautiful family was unjustly charged today”.

Crown prosecutor Lisa Weich said outside court that the trial shows all parents are held to a minimum standard of care for their children at all times.

“They definitely, definitely loved their son, but as stated in our closing arguments, and even in our opening arguments, unfortunately, sometimes love just isn’t enough,” she said.

The maximum sentence for this crime is five years in prison. Mr and Mrs Stephan are to return to court on 13 June to receive a date for their sentencing.