Jury ponder verdict in case of nursery staff accused of cruelty

A JURY considering child cruelty charges against three members of staff at a Port Talbot nursery have been sent home overnight as they try to reach a verdict.

Katie Davies, 32, of Port Talbot, owner of the Bright Sparks nursery in Taibach; deputy manager Christina Pinchess, 31, of Cwmavon; and colleague Shelbie Forgan, 22, of Port Talbot, face eight charges between them, including that they restrained and force-fed a child, picked up a child by its wrists and manhandled a child by covering its mouth to stop it crying. All three deny the charges.

Legal counsel for each of the women made their final submissions to the jury at Swansea Crown Court on Wednesday, after prosecutor David Scutt had argued: “This case is about frustration and loss of patience and loss of control, lapses in what was undoubtedly a well-run and well-supported nursery.”

The nursery had opened in 2014, but was closed by the Care and Social Services Inspectorate Wales, which had previously giving it glowing inspection reports, following allegations by students who had been sent to the nursery on work placements.

Following summing-up by Judge Geraint Walters, the jury retired to consider their verdicts shortly before lunch on Thursday. But after almost four hours they had still not reached a unanimous verdict and were sent home for the evening. They are due to return to court on Friday morning.