Baby had ‘best weekend of her life’ before tragedy
MANSLAUGHTER TRIAL HEARS STATEMENTS FROM GENEVIEVE’S PARENTS
TRIAL jurors heard statements from the parents of a baby girl who died after allegedly being strapped facedown to a beanbag by a nursery worker – as they spoke of their ‘beautiful daughter’ and her final moments.
Genevieve Zofia Meehan was nine months old when she was found unresponsive at the Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, in May 2022.
Prosecutors allege she was strapped face down to a bean bag by deputy nursery manager Kate Roughley, who swaddled her so tightly in a blanket she was unable to move.
Ms Roughley, 36, allegedly strapped Genevieve with a harness and left her there crying and thrashing for more than half an hour, Manchester Crown Court has heard.
While Genevieve struggled, Ms Roughley ignored her cries and placed a blanket on top of her that covered her almost head to foot, prosecutors have alleged.
Ms Roughley is accused of manslaughter by ill-treatment.
The child was found unresponsive and blue on the afternoon of May 9, 2022.
Prosecutor Martin Reid KC read statements from the parents of Genevieve – Katie Wheeler and John Meehan – who said she had various ailments after being born prematurely.
Mum Katie Wheeler said: “I wish to make this statement to talk about and honour my beautiful daughter Genevieve. Gigi was not just a baby, she was a person with her likes and dislikes, her loves and her frustrations. She was a complete person.
“Owing to her beautiful French name, she adopted a French persona in our house and was often voiced by me with a French accent. We used to joke it would be very strange when she started talking properly and would not actually speak French.”
Speaking of the weekend prior to the incident, Ms Wheeler said: “It was the best weekend of her life. She spent lots of time playing on her toy mat and she was able to support herself while standing and was also moving around on the floor with great determination and speed, babbling as she liked to and saying ‘dada, dada.’
Ms Wheeler added: “I remember that weekend as one of our happiest. She was very happy and well.”
On the day of the incident, Ms Wheeler said Genevieve was watching her getting ready for work and was her ‘usual mischievous self,’ lunging for various items in her make-up bag.
“I had put sun cream on her, which she found ticklish and funny,” she added. “When I dropped her off [at nursery] I said to her ‘I love you, sweetie.’
Ms Wheeler said Genevieve had been in hospital a few weeks before and was being treated for bronchiolitis. Her daughter had been given an inhaler but was weaned off it and was in ‘good health’ by the time she returned to nursery, she added. She said: “She was her usual bright happy self and no person at the nursery raised any concerns about her health.”
Mr Meehan said he later got a call from his wife.
“I answered the phone and she told me she had a phone call from the nursery who said Genevieve was found unresponsive and blue and an ambulance was on its way to the nursery,” he added in his statement.
“I immediately turned around and got in my car. Katie then phoned me back and informed me that the ambulance had arrived and Gigi was being taken to Stepping Hill Hospital. They said it would take about 10 minutes.”
He said he arrived at the A&E department before Ms Wheeler and her mum. He said he could see CPR being performed on Genevieve by paramedics.
Mr Meehan added: “I wanted to stay with Genevieve. I overheard the doctors having a conversation about stopping CPR. We were then told they were going to stop treatment and they could not save Genevieve.”
Ms Roughley, of Heaton Norris, Stockport, denies manslaughter and an alternative count of child cruelty. ● Proceeding