BODY OF AMELIA, 4 ‘FOUND ON COFFEE TABLE IN GARDEN’
THE body of a four-year-old girl was found on a coffee table in the garden of a house in south Wales, an inquest heard yesterday.
Amelia Brooke Harris was found dead at her home in Brithweunydd Road in Trealaw, near Tonypandy, on Friday, June 8.
Pontypridd Coroner’s Court heard that at around 10.15pm that night, a man was heard shouting in the street that someone was dead.
In the brief inquest opening in Pontypridd yesterday, coroner’s officer Robert Lewis said when police arrived they went into the rear garden of the property and discovered a wooden coffee table with a child’s body on it.
At 10.30pm, police arrested the mother of the dead girl on suspicion of murder, the inquest was told.
Amelia’s grandmother identified her body, Mr Lewis added.
A post-mortem examination which took place on June 10, undertaken by a Dr James at the University Hospital of Wales in Cardiff, found the cause of death was pending further investigation.
Histology and toxicology results have been sent for further analysis and will be returned after tests have been carried out before the girl’s funeral, the hearing was told.
A solicitor for Amelia’s mother has said they did not wish to have a second post-mortem examination.
No family members attended the hearing.
They previously paid tribute to Amelia as a “fun-loving, caring and bubbly little girl”.
Andrew Barkley, senior coroner for South Wales Central, said: “The inquest touching on the death of the late Amelia Brooke Harris will now be formally opened.
“We will adjourn it to a review date to understand more about the criminal proceedings.”
The hearing was adjourned until November 13 at 10am.
■ Carly Ann Harris, 37, has been charged with Amelia’s murder. She has not yet entered a plea and is on remand ahead of a provisional trial date of December 3