THE NSPCC has condemned young mother Jasmine Gregory for her 'continued silence' after she was jailed yesterday for allowing her baby to drown in the bath while she did the washing up.

Gregory sobbed at Oxford Crown Court yesterday as she was thrown behind bars for three years for the manslaughter of her 14-month-old daughter Robyn Andrews-English.

The 24-year-old discovered her child swamped in the water after swigging two pints of cider and forgetting she had left her in the bathtub for at least ten minutes.

Today the NSPCC said: "This is a desperately sad case in which a young baby has been needlessly robbed of her life.

"Gregory's neglect is made all the more worse by her continued silence and clear refusal to take responsibilty for her actions.

"This tragic case has not only destroyed a family - it will also have profound effects on a 24-year-old's future."

Judge Ian Pringle QC slammed her for deserting Robyn despite being warned never to leave a child bathing alone.

He declared the tragedy could have been avoided by Gregory, who he deemed was ‘emotionally unstable’ and led a chaotic lifestyle, adding: “The fact of the matter is that you left that young little girl in an adult bath unaided and she drowned.

“I do not underestimate the loss that you feel and the loss that you are always going to feel but also don’t underestimate the loss of so many others. What you did was so wholly wrong and atrocious. No prison sentence that I pass will ever compensate for the loss of that little girl.”

A jury of eight women and four men unanimously convicted Gregory of manslaughter after less than two hours deliberating on Wednesday.

During the trial, the court heard Gregory told an outreach worker visiting her Grove home she planned to give Robyn a bath and take her to the park on on August 7, 2014.

She was warned by the worker not to leave the toddler alone after slipping away from Robyn moments after going to get her ready for the bath.

Robyn was pronounced dead at the John Radcliffe Hospital later that day after medics and passers-by who rushed to the toddler’s aid failed to resuscitate her.

Gregory, who must pay a victim surcharge, had signed and agreed a care plan with Oxfordshire County Council just two months before Robyn’s death, vowing to ‘appropriately supervise’ her at all times.

The child’s grandmother Theresa Andrews claimed Robyn was let down by Gregory and ‘the system’, in a statement read to the court.

A county council spokesman said: “This case is currently subject to a serious case review, which will be published in due course. We cannot comment further at this stage.”

Gregory, now of Ulfgars Road, Oxford, hysterically sobbed throughout her trial as tragic details of her daughter’s death emerged.

Jurors were told she became distracted on the day of Robyn’s death, rushing out of her Kents Row home in a panic, asking a passer-by where Robyn was.

She hurried back inside but returned grasping Robyn’s ‘grey and limp’ body.

Investigating officer Det Con Andy Matheson, from Thames Valley Police's Child Abuse Investigation Unit based in Cowley, said: “This has been a tragic case from the start.

"A young mother has lost her young baby and the extended family have lost the future they would have had with the child.

“Jasmine Gregory has never given a full account to police or others of what happened that day and so this has meant Robyn’s extended family -  grandparents, aunts and uncles and cousins - will never really know what led to her death.

“However I am pleased that this tragic case has now reached its conclusion so the family can begin to concentrate on picking up the pieces of their lives at this difficult time.

“This was a result of a many different agencies working together including medical professionals, social services, CPS and the police and I would like to thank all those who helped bring this case to its conclusion.”

Kirsty Allman, Senior Crown Prosecutor for Thames and Chiltern Crown Prosecution Service said: “This was a tragic waste of life and one which could have been avoided.

“Early afternoon on 7 August 2014, Jasmine Gregory ran her daughter an adult-sized bath, put her in it, unsupported, and left her unattended and unsupervised where she drowned.

"In fact, it appears that Gregory forgot she had left Robyn in the bath, possibly due to alcohol consumption, and was seen looking for her moments before being seen with her, lifeless, in her arms.

"After being taken to a nearby Doctors' surgery and then being rushed by ambulance to hospital, Robyn was declared dead at 3.32pm.

"This was not merely a terrible accident; Gregory was clearly negligent in leaving Robyn unattended in the bath.

“Gregory initially admitted to witnesses at the scene to leaving her baby in the bath and being responsible for her death, but later replied ‘no comment’ to police interviews and denied manslaughter, but was found guilty, despite her denials.

“We have worked closely with Thames Valley Police since this investigation was launched and as a result of the hard work and diligence of the prosecution team, a just outcome has been achieved for baby Robyn.

"I hope that the conviction and sentence will in some way help her family come to terms with this tragic event.

"Our thoughts are very much with them at this time.”