Father who let his diabetic daughter die gets jail term

A ZEALOUS Rastafarian, who allowed his nine-year-old diabetic daughter to die because he avoided conventional medicine, was jailed for her manslaughter yesterday.

His wife, who was also convicted of killing the girl, was given a suspended sentence after the judge decided she had been subject to her husband's stubborn will.

During the trial, the court was told that Nahkira had 'wasted away before her parents' eyes' after they refused to allow her to be treated with insulin and opted to seek homeopathic remedies.

After the verdict, Bill Foxton, secretary of the Faculty of Homeopathy, the professional body for doctors who also practise homeopathic medicine, said: 'Where a patient is dependent on insulin, homeopathy is not relevant. We would not try to treat syphilis or TB, for example, by homeopathy alone. As far as we are concerned, homeopathy is 'another tool in the bag'. '

Homeopathy, the treatment of illnesses with minute doses of substances that promote similar symptoms, is used by the NHS, although not all practising homeopaths are fully trained, or trained in conventional medicine.

Dwight Harris, 32, and his wife Beverley, 33, of Francis Street, Radford, Nottingham, were convicted after a four- week trial at Nottingham Crown Court last week and sentence was adjourned until yesterday.

After Mr Harris had been sentenced to 21/2 years in prison, he leaned across and kissed his wife before leaving the dock. Mr Justice Tucker then sentenced Mrs Harris to 18 months imprisonment suspended for two years.

Nahkira died 21 months ago after the couple refused to allow her to be treated with insulin while they sought alternative homeopathic remedies.

The judge told the couple he accepted they were both loving and caring parents and in all other respects their daughter, one of five children, had been well looked after.