‘Children loved the staff’, nursery owner tells court
THE owner of a Port Talbot nursery facing child cruelty charges with two colleagues has insisted children “loved the staff ” – and that she would not have tolerated youngsters being manhandled.
Katie Davies told Swansea Crown Court that allegations made against staff “would not have happened in my nursery because it is my reputation.”
The 32-year-old denies one joint charge of restraining and forcefeeding a child at the Bright Sparks nursery.
Earlier, the court heard that Davies, a former supply teacher, had given up teaching because “it was my dream looking after children and owning my own business – it was everything I wanted”, and she had taken a “massive” pay cut as a result.
The nursery slowly began attracting more parents, until it was at its limit of 19 spaces in the building, although it had up to 50 children on its books.
The court was also told Bright Sparks had been inspected twice by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales. Davies said: “They told me they were impressed and they were happy”.
However, the court was also told of allegations made against members of staff by students who had been on work placements at the nursery. Two of those students had been described as “shy and timid”, and consequently their tutor had been spoken to by staff, who queried whether childcare was the correct career path for them.
Earlier, co-defendant Christina Pinchess had once again taken the stand. The 31-year-old, of Brynna Road, Cwmavon, denies six charges – one of them jointly – of forcefeeding a child, covering a child’s mouth with her hand to stop it crying, and picking up a child by its wrists.
Prosecuting counsel David Scutt had put to her the allegation that she had on one occasion put her hand over the mouth and nose of a child for 10 seconds.
“It did not happen,” said Ms Pinchess.
Pinchess also denied having dropped a child over a safety gate “a few inches”, and said: “I can put my hand on my heart and say I have never left a baby to fall over backwards”.
She also denied having “restrained” a child’s head in the crook of her elbow in order to feed it, but rather had cradled the child.
When asked if the allegations against her were untrue, she replied: “I guess they are misinterpreting something. I would not like to think anyone would blatantly lie.”
Twenty-two-year-old Shelbie Forgan, of Mariners Point, Port Talbot, who denies one charge of picking up a child by its wrists, and a joint charge of restraining and force-feeding a child, also took to the stand.
Mr Scutt said the allegation was that: “You and Katie Davies were feeding [a child] and were encouraging him to eat, but he was getting more and more distressed. She said he was spitting his food out and you were holding his jaw to make his mouth like an eating mechanism.”
Forgan said: “No. That is not in my nature to treat any children in that manner.”
The trial continues.