Belfast Telegraph

Dad of tragic baby Logan tells inquest he was the victim of domestic abuse

Infant’s father refutes claims by ex-partner that he was ‘controllin­g’

- By Brett Campbell

THE father of a baby boy who died in Co Down has denied being “controllin­g and abusive” and told an inquest that he was the victim of abuse from the mother of the infant, who he claims regularly took Pregabalin.

Gary Mccartney was responding to claims by his ex-partner that she was “ordered” to sleep on a sofa downstairs in their Dundonald home on October 17, 2020 — the night before Logan-james Mccartney was found dead after sleeping with his dad in a V-shaped pillow in a double bed.

“I was a victim of domestic violence,” he told the coroner.

“Chloe had a major depressive condition and consumed alcohol with medication.

“She was physically and verbally abusive.

“I recall there were occasions when police were required to attend our home due to disharmony.”

The former Ranger in the Territoria­l Army (TA) admitted a previous conviction for common assault more than five years ago on his then partner Chloe McCreery.

“I’m not a violent person, anyone who knows me knows I’m not violent,” Mr Mccartney said.

“Many a time I tried to leave [the home] because of the vulgar language Chloe was using.

“That’s when she jumped in front of the door.

“She was squealing and getting chaotic in front of the kids — I didn’t want them to witness that.”

Mr Mccartney said he admitted “putting my hands on her to remove her from my house” when Ms Mccreery called the police on one occasion which resulted in him being put on probation.

He acknowledg­ed the onoff seven-year relationsh­ip was “very toxic” but pointed out that any custodial or suspended sentence would also have resulted in him being discharged from the TA.

Asked why his former partner, who has been diagnosed with borderline personalit­y disorder, would claim he was abusive, the witness replied: “Out of malice.”

He added: “Chloe did tell me she would ruin my life when we split up.”

Mr Mccartney also said he regularly found empty packets of Pregabalin “under the mattress”.

“Obviously they were Chloe’s, but she said they were her friend’s.”

Earlier this week, Ms Mccreery told the coroner “he ordered me to go downstairs” the night before her son died and admitted she took “wrongly prescribed anti-psychotic medication” and drank a large bottle of Blue WKD.

Her mother gave evidence claiming there were “30 to 40” empty beer cans, five stumpy bottles and a bong in the bedroom when she arrived to find Mr Mccartney performing “adult CPR” on the infant.

Mr Mccartney was warned by the coroner that answering some questions may incriminat­e him and was advised that he was under no obligation to answer everything he was being asked.

He denied regular cocaine and cannabis use and said he was subject to regular drug testing during his nine years in the TA and had been mobilised to assist with the Covid-19 response earlier in the year.

The witness said he would have faced a sanction of “automatic discharge” if he had taken drugs.

Mr Mccartney also denied taking Diazepam prior to his son’s death, but explained that he was prescribed two pills in the hospital “to calm me down” on October 18.

The non-smoker told the inquest he was off work the day before Logan died and insisted he did not consume any alcohol.

“Chloe smoked very heavily anywhere she wanted,” Mr McCartney said.

“It was a constant issue, her mother would have smoked heavily too and they smoked with Logan in the car.”

Mr Mccartney denied having a bong and said he often detected the “clingy smell” of cannabis which was being used by “Chloe or her mum”.

Two experts previously told the inquest that parents smoking and drinking alcohol are risk factors for babies.

A pathologis­t said the cause of death was bronchopne­umonia, which likely followed a bacterial infection caused by Klebsiella oxytoca.

However, Dr Caroline Gannon also said Logan co-sleeping in the bed may have contribute­d to his death.

The witness admitted allowing his infant son to sleep on the bed with him in a V-shaped pillow.

“I wasn’t expecting to wake up to that,” Mr Mccartney said.

The witness, who denied phoning his dad to ask him to “clean up the scene” before forensics arrived, told the coroner the two empty beer cans photograph­ed by police were from the Friday evening when he was watching football.

The Rangers and Manchester United fan rejected a lawyer’s claim that it was “more likely” from when his favourite teams played on the Saturday afternoon.

However, the coroner pointed out that Ms Mccreery had already given evidence to say her then partner had not been drinking that day.

“I was sober on the night [before] and the morning Logan died,” Mr Mccartney said.

He said he went upstairs at 6pm to watch Netflix with Ms Mccreery and Logan on the Saturday evening.

“There was no argument,” he said. “We went upstairs to have family time with Logan.

“Chloe went downstairs and never came back up — she would regularly sleep downstairs on the sofa.”

Mr Mccartney recalled going to sleep at around midnight before waking up early on Sunday morning.

“I looked over and noticed Logan looked blue,” he said.

“His head was turned to the right and his left side was raised.

“I immediatel­y checked his breathing. I panicked and shouted down to Chloe ‘he’s not breathing’ and to phone an ambulance.”

The distraught father then began CPR initially on the bed, but then moved the infant on the advice of a 999 dispatcher.

Neighbour Kirsty Walker drove Mr Mccartney to hospital on the morning of the tragedy.

She told the inquest there was “no smell of alcohol” from her passenger who “did not look intoxicate­d or hungover”.

A paramedic who tried to save Logan conceded he “has a nose” for noticing anything being off and a duty of care to report it.

Mr Fitzpatric­k told the coroner he “did not notice anything out of the ordinary”, including any beers cans or a bong in the bedroom.

The inquest concluded and findings will be issued in due course.

 ?? ?? Horror: Logan-james Mccartney’s father discovered that he was not breathing
Horror: Logan-james Mccartney’s father discovered that he was not breathing

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