Paramedic foster mum ‘ killed baby after losing her temper’
A FOSTER mother killed the baby she was adopting in a fit of anger and then pretended the little girl fell accidentally from her knee, a court heard yesterday.
Paramedic Sarah Higgins, 42, allegedly inflicted catastrophic brain injuries on ten-monthold Skyla Giller while caring for the baby alone at home.
After dialling 999, she told the emergency operator the infant was unconscious after slipping from her arms and falling to the floor as Higgins sat on a chair.
Higgins is said to have insisted Skyla fell from a low height on to a bedroom carpet and landed on her bottom – not her head.
But during the 999 call she was recorded speaking to her partner, Martin Dobson, also a paramedic, on another phone, telling him: ‘God, I think I must have done something to her.’
Skyla had surgery for a bleed on the brain, but died when her life support was switched off two days later. Doctors also found ‘crucial evidence’ of extensive bleeding to her eyes, which indicated a severe trauma, and five bruises to her arm, the court heard. Prosecutor Richard Wright QC said evidence of the baby’s injuries clearly indicated Higgins killed Skyla in a violent assault that caused severe head trauma.
He told Leeds Crown Court that experts concluded the injuries couldn’t have occurred by accident and were of a type caused by ‘massive force’, such as a child falling from a first-floor window.
However, Higgins insists Skyla was merely picked up ‘sharpishly’ after falling from a low height on to carpet with no impact to her head on August 24, 2017.
Mr Wright said: ‘Sarah Higgins must have experienced a loss of temper that caused her to subject
Skyla to a significant but shortlived and no doubt deeply regretted episode of violence.’
Following Skyla’s death in ‘extremely unusual circumstances’, Higgins was charged with manslaughter, which she denies.
The incident happened as she prepared Skyla for bed at 6pm at home in Skelmanthorpe, near Huddersfield, West Yorkshire.
Higgins was on maternity leave, and was hoping to formally adopt Skyla with Mr Dobson.
Skyla had been approved to live with the couple at seven months.
Higgins claimed that on the evening of the incident she had been sitting on a chair with Skyla on her lap, feeding from a bottle of milk, when she was hurt. She said the baby was ‘struggling’ and fell on her bottom or lower legs.
When the 999 operator asked whether Skyla responded when talked to, Higgins said: ‘No nothing. She is not awake at all.
‘She is not conscious, but she is moving her limbs. It’s involuntary movement, she is not controlled... her brain isn’t working properly.’
Mr Wright said her account of an accidental fall to a carpeted floor could not explain the head injuries, and told jurors Higgins had lied after assaulting Skyla, whose injuries were consistent with her head ‘striking another surface’.
The case continues.