Daily Mirror (Northern Ireland)
Alfie ‘guarded by cops’
Dad’s claims as court agrees to reconsider toddler’s case
THE father of tragic Alfie Evans claims an armed police guard is outside his son’s hospital room, as the family prepares a fresh legal bid to save the toddler.
Tom Evans will go back to the Court of Appeal, after it was yesterday announced it will reconsider the case.
The court previously upheld a ruling allowing Alfie’s life support to be ended.
Tom and Kate
James, 20, hope to get the go-ahead on Monday on taking their son, who has a degenerative brain disease, to Rome.
Tom, 21, fears he will be arrested if he tries to remove Alfie from Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool, where protesters backed the family.
He said: “Police have to sit there and watch us change his nappy, bath him and cuddle him. They are right outside the room, three of them.” The parents insist they have an air ambulance ready to transfer Alfie, 23 months, to the Vatican’s Bambino Gesu hospital. Tom said: “When I wanted to take my son, I had officers in my face... If he goes and he dies, he dies, if he stays here, he dies, at least he dies as a hero, trying.” Neither Alder Hey nor Merseyside Police were available to comment yesterday.
The High Court, Court of Appeal, Supreme Court and European Court all said medics could withdraw Alfie’s life support. Earlier this week, Mr Justice Hayden set a date and time.