Nursery worker accused of killing a nine

Release time：2024-05-21 14:26:38 Source：Culture Corridor news portal

A nursery worker accused of killing a nine-month-old girl ignored 'serious and obvious' risks when the baby was left strapped and sleeping face down on a bean bag for more than an hour and a half, a jury has been told.

Kate Roughley's ill treatment allegedly caused the death of Genevieve Meehan - known as 'Gigi' - who was found 'unresponsive and blue' at Tiny Toes Day Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, on May 9, 2022.

Roughley, 37, who the prosecution say displayed a 'lack of sympathy' towards children, is accused of ignoring Genevieve's crying and desperate movements as she struggled to survive.

Manchester Crown Court heard she then 'lied' to police to cover up what she'd done by telling them she constantly checked on babies in her care.

Jurors were told the cause of Genevieve's death was a combination of asphyxia and pathophysiological stress caused by 'an unsafe sleep environment'.

Nurse Kate Roughley, 37, seen leaving Manchester Crown Court, has gone on trial accused of the manslaughter of nine-month old Genevieve Meehan

Roughley, who denies manslaughter, has been accused by prosecutors of ignoring 'serious and obvious risks' while showing a 'lack of sympathy' towards children

Tragic baby Genevieve Meehan was found 'unresponsive and blue' at Tiny Toes Day Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Greater Manchester, on May 9, 2022

Peter Wright, prosecuting, said: 'Her death was not the result of some terrible or unavoidable accident - we say her death arose from ill treatment she suffered at the hands of this defendant.'

He told the jury that on the day of tragedy deputy manager Roughley, who had 17 years' experience, was acting as leader in the nursery's baby room.

Genevieve had been dropped off by her parents John and Katie at 9am and was found unresponsive later that day at about 3.12pm.

Mr Wright said the reason for the baby's condition was not immediately apparent but became clear following the examination of CCTV footage.

He said Genevieve had been put to sleep that afternoon by Roughley, who had swaddled in her in a blanket so tightly she was unable to move.

The child had also been placed not on her back, according to safe sleep policies, but instead on her front and face down while strapped to a bean bag using a harness.

A blanket was also placed over her that practically covered her head to toe, Mr Wright said - with what he called the 'inevitable consequence' it would make observations more difficult and increase the risk of over-heating.

He said Genevieve was 'distressed by this treatment' yet her cries were ignored and she was left tightly swaddled, restrained and covered in this position from about 1.35pm until she was discovered unresponsive 97 minutes later.

Mr Wright told the jury that any level of interest in the wellbeing of Genevieve during this period was 'sporadic and at best fleeting'.

He added: 'The risk to her of asphyxiation and death was, we say, both serious and obvious.

'Yet the defendant ignored it and by the time she checked on Genevieve with anything vaguely representing any genuine interest in her condition it was too late.'

Nursery staff and paramedics attempted to resuscitate Genevieve and she was taken to hospital but could not be saved.

Mr Wright said Roughley's 'deliberate conduct', 'ill treatment' and 'lack of any effective monitoring' caused Genevieve's death.

Kate Roughley, pictured here on September 23 last year, had 17 years' experience as a nurse

Prosecutors say Roughley's 'ill treatment' of Genevieve Meehan caused her death

The jury heard how the baby had been enrolled at the nursery in April, having 'thrived' after being born prematurely at 35 weeks.

Genevieve had been treated in hospital for bronchiolitis - common in young infants - and was using an inhaler and her condition caused no concerns.

But Mr Wright said that in the days running up the tragedy Roughley displayed a 'lack of affection' towards Genevieve that was 'not merely visible, but tangible'.

Roughley had become 'frustrated' and had displayed a 'marked and obvious disinclination' to care for her and shown her 'antipathy' and 'hostility', he said.

Other staff had failed to challenge her 'lack of sympathy' towards children and that enabled her to behave in the way she did, the prosecutor told the court.

The jury heard that just four days earlier Roughley was present when another member of staff strapped Genevieve face down on a bean bag for two hours and had shown 'no discernible interest' in her welfare.

On the day of Genevieve's death, Roughley had used the bean bag as a 'form of restraint', Mr Wright said, and had ignored safety advice never to place babies on it face down.

She had considered the baby's care an 'imposition' and had ignored her head and leg movements which were 'entirely consistent with an increasingly exhausted child desperately thrashing in order to survive'.

Yet, when police were called to the nursery she told them she checked on children every five minutes 'if not more'.

Mr Wright described this as a 'deliberate lie on her part to conceal the awful truth of what she had actually done'.

A medical expert concluded that Genevieve died as a result of asphyxia and pathophysiological stress 'imparted by an unsafe sleep environment', he added.

Roughley, of Heaton Norris in Stockport, denies manslaughter and child cruelty.

Kate Roughley, seen outside Manchester Crown Court, also denies a charge of child cruelty

The 'medical episode' suffered by Genevieve Meehan happened at the nursery on May 9, 2022

Sarah Elliot, defending, told the jury, the defendant's care of Genevieve had been 'no different to any child' and she looked after children in a 'practical, responsible, no-nonsense but caring way'.

She said the defendant denied failing to make safe-sleep arrangements and had 'kept an appropriate eye' on Genevieve.

'Genevieve's death was a terrible and unavoidable accident but not caused by any act by Kate Roughley that was unlawful', Ms Wright added.

The trial continues. 

Related articles