Just after midnight on August 23, 2023, Merseyside Police received a report that a one-year-old boy, Maero Johnson, had been taken to hospital but despite medical staff’s best efforts he passed away. A Home Officer postmortem confirmed Maero died of ketonic hypoglycaemia and severe malnutrition. A second child was found to be neglected and underdeveloped. Adam Johnson, 26, of Hempstead Close in Thatto Heath, St Helens, and Kylie Smith, 25, of Holly Bank Street in Pocket Nook, St Helens, have been charged with causing/allowing the death of a child, child neglect and possession of a controlled Class B drug, cannabis. They will appear at Liverpool Magistrates' Court on Thursday, August 13.