Doctors tried in vain to revive toddler

A 19-MONTH-OLD toddler allegedly murdered by her mother was described by a medic to be unconscious and not breathing when she arrived at hospital, a jury was told.

Dr Knowle Fernando was one of the treating clinicians when Gracie Crowder was taken to King’s Mill Hospital, Sutton-in-Ashfield, on the morning of March 6.

The department had a call from the ambulance crew at 6.36am that they would be receiving a 19-month-old female baby in cardiac arrest in about ten minutes.

As an emergency department registrar, Dr Fernando informed the paediatric cardiac arrest team.

In a statement, read out at the trial of Gracie’s mother Katie Crowder, who denies her daughter’s murder, Dr Fernando said they received the child at 6.45am at the emergency department. She was found to have peeled skin and scalded skin all over her body.

“She was unconscious, not breathing, no central pulse found at that time,” his statement said.

Attempts at resuscitation started immediately. But after 25 minutes, there was no sign of life. Gracie was pronounced dead at 7.10am.

The Nottingham Crown Court jury heard she had deep burns covering 65 percent of her body.

A post-mortem examination gave the cause of death as scalds and thermal burns resulting from exposure to hot liquid.

Katie Crowder, 26, of Wharmby Avenue, Mansfield, went to her parent’s home with Gracie at around 6.30am.

Katie’s father had told the jury Gracie was “just like she was asleep” and had “some red marks on her face”.

He gave Gracie CPR before she went to hospital.

Opening the case against Crowder, prosecutor Sally Howes said: “It is the Crown’s case you can be sure Gracie Crowder was killed by a deliberate and unlawful act by her mother.

“Gracie Crowder’s death was not an instant death,“she added. “Expert opinion is it could have taken her in the region of one hour to die.” She said Gracie was dead by the time Katie Crowder took her to her parents’ house.

“Why, ladies and gentleman, the delay in calling for help?” Ms Howes asked the jury.

“It is the Crown’s case that the delay is explained very simply: Katie Crowder covering her tracks because she knew what she had done.

The trial continues