Police probing ‘cover-up’ over death of Mad Men star’s baby
MAD MEN star Jamie King told yesterday how police are investigating claims that evidence was tampered with following the death of his baby.
The British actor and actress wife Tamara Podemski lost son Benjamin after a Caesarean section operation was delayed by a day.
An inquest yesterday found that the boy is likely to have been deprived of oxygen in the hours leading up to his birth at the Royal United Hospital in Bath, Somerset, on May 5 last year.
But coroner Maria Voisin adjourned the hearing so police could investigate allegations that evidence was tampered with.
Heartbroken Mr King, 35 – who has also appeared in Call The Midwife and the film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy – said after sitting through the harrowing hearing that he and his wife would “continue our fight for justice”.
Earlier Avon Coroner’s Court heard Canadian-born Ms Podemski, 39, was classified as having a high-risk pregnancy and was scheduled to have a planned C-section at 8pm on May 4. Staff decided to delay the procedure until the following morning and allowed Ms Podemski to go home when an emergency case was given priority.
Ms Podemski, then living in Frome, Somerset, rushed back to the hospital after she had a prolonged contraction – lasting for up to 18 minutes – at 5am.
Benjamin was born in a “poor condition” and died at St Michael’s Hospital in Bristol five days later. An examination found he had died from a massive brain injury.
A midwife said she questioned a consultant and a duty registrar as to why the planned Caesarean was postponed – but claimed details of that conversation were missing from her evidence.
After the claim, Ms Voisin halted the hearing, saying she was considering referring the case to the Crown Prosecution Service.
Following the hearing, Mr King said medical professionals are legally bound to tell the truth but “covering up mistakes is still a very common practice in the NHS”.
He added: “We have been informed by the coroner that the matter of the altered witness statements has been reported to the police. We hope that there will be a thorough investigation.”
Avon and Somerset Police confirmed the coroner “has contacted us regarding this matter”.
Helen Blanchard, director of nursing and midwifery at Royal United Hospitals Bath NHS Foundation Trust, apologised to the couple last night and said “improvements” had been made to its care system following an investigation.