‘Mother on her knees in road weeping for Katie’
She was pleading for help for her injured little girl
THE DISTRAUGHT mother of a seven-year-old girl who died after she was found seriously injured on a playing field was seen crying on her knees in the street and pleading for help, according to witnesses.
A 15-year-old girl was arrested after police were called to an address in the Woodthorpe area of York and found the young girl – named last night as Katie Rough – and described in tributes from family members as “darling princess Katie” – down a track with life-threatening injuries.
She was taken to hospital but died a short time later, North Yorkshire Police said.
Witnesses said the mother of the little girl arrived at the scene in Alness Drive on Monday afternoon, saying: “No, no, she’s my little girl.”
Rob McCartney, 50, who lives in one of the homes next to the track, said he saw the young girl lying in the field.
He said the child’s mother was “distraught”, shouting for help and saying her daughter had been killed.
He said: “The mother came running up the street shouting for help and saying ‘Get an ambulance’.
“I put my shoes on, went up the side of the house. I could see a young girl lying in the field, police were already attending to her.”
Mr McCartney added: “(The mother) was back and forth, obviously very, very distraught and [a man] who I think was the father turned up.
“I spoke to her later, asked if she was OK and she said ‘No, no, she’s my little girl’.
“She said ‘I think she’s killed her’.
“They were obviously very distraught. Didn’t want to talk to people, the two of them took themselves off, were consoling
Specially trained officers are supporting the victim’s family. Detective Chief Inspector Dave Ellis of North Yorkshire Police
each other. I didn’t recognise them.”
Mr McCartney told how the girl had been taken away by paramedics on a stretcher.
He said: “I went to bed thinking she would be OK. She was taken away on a stretcher with an oxygen mask on. But of course we woke up to this today.”
He added: “It firstly never happens around here and never happens in York. It’s awful. I have a six-year-old daughter of my own and this kind of thing is horrible.”
The young girl’s grandparents, arrived in the quiet residential street and left a bunch of flowers by the cordon. The card read: “Night, night my darling princess Katie, love Nana and Grandad.”
A woman living in the house by the track said: “The mother was on her knees in the middle of the road, crying and saying things. It was quite distressing.”
Yesterday morning, the grass track leading from the cul-de-sac to a playing field was cordoned off. A white tent could be seen on the playing field beyond the cordon.
Two police vans were parked outside a house believed to belong to the seven-year-old girl’s family. An officer was seen entering and leaving the property carrying equipment.
In a statement, Detective Chief Inspector Dave Ellis said officers were called to Alness Drive shortly after 4.30pm.
He said: “Officers attended and, upon visiting a scene nearby, they found a seven-year-old girl with life-threatening injuries.
“An ambulance attended and the girl was taken to York District Hospital, where she sadly died a short time later.”
The officer declined to answer questions about the incident yesterday afternoon, but said officers “conducted house-to-house inquiries in the area and remain working at the scene while the investigation continues.” He added: “Specially trained officers are supporting the victim’s family as this is an extremely difficult time for them. The circumstances require the investigation to be carried out in a sensitive manner.”
The York City and East neighbourhood policing team tweeted: “Difficult late shift for all York staff with tragic death of a 7 year old. Thoughts go out to family members.”