Lily-Mai Saint George: Parents shook baby girl to death just SIX days after taken into their care, court hears

A mum and dad shook their baby girl to death just SIX DAYS after she was taken into their care, a court heard.

Tragic 10-week-old Lily-Mai Saint George collapsed at her family home in Tottenham, Haringey, on January 31, 2018, and died from her “massive” injuries two days later.

Lily-Mai had suffered 18 rib fractures, a serious head injury, an eye injury, spinal injury and multiple bruises consistent with gripping, the jury was told.

Her parents Lauren Saint George, 25, and Darren Hurrell, 25, are accused of murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing the death of a child and child cruelty.

Saint George, of Enfield, who wore a black jacket and green shirt, and Hurrell, of Derby, who wore a black t-shirt, blue jeans and trainers, both sat ashen faced in the dock of Wood Green Crown Court as the case against them was outlined.

Sally O’Neill QC, prosecuting, told jurors a post-mortem found Lily-Mai had died from a head injury caused by forceful gripping and shaking “in keeping with suspected physical abuse.”

Social services from Haringey Council said the baby should be discharged into their care despite opposition from doctors.

At 9.08pm on January 31 2018, six days after Lily-Mai had been discharged, Saint George phoned 999.

The prosecutor said: “It is the crown’s case that these two defendants, Lily-Mai’s parents, were responsible for her death and that these fatal injuries were caused to Lily-Mai by forceful shaking shortly before that 999 call only six days after she had been discharged into their care.”

“(On the 999 call) Saint George said that their baby wasn’t breathing, that she was premature, had anaemia and had gone white and floppy so she thought her anaemia had kicked in.”

The court heard that Hurrell said that she had a heartbeat but wasn’t breathing and later that she was trying to gasp for air.

The jury was told that Saint George said she wasn’t responsive “like she’s not opening her eyes or crying”.

The paramedics arrived and found the tot with blue around her lips and nose and very pale, Ms O’Neill said.

“She wasn’t breathing or moving but had a pulse. She was given emergency ventilation,” she told the court.

“When asked what had happened, Hurrell said he had picked the baby up from her cot because she was crying and her head fell back and she became floppy and stopped breathing.

“He said he had performed CPR on her and said the baby had been pale and unsettled for a couple of days and not taking her milk properly.”

Lily-Mai had started breathing again but had to be taken to hospital, where she was found to have sustained a bleed on her brain which had caused a build-up of pressure.

She was transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for treatment to relieve this pressure but during this, she was found to have bleeding on the brain, severe brain swelling and parts of her brain had died.

Her condition got worse and a decision was taken not to resuscitate her before her death on February 2, 2018.

During the baby’s short life, the court heard doctors were very concerned about the couple’s ability to look after the premature tot, who was born 31 weeks into pregnancy.

The jury was told that on January 8, 2018, a referral to social services was made because of a “lack of contact between the parents and the baby” and hospital concerns about their ability to accommodate its physical, emotional and developmental needs.

It was the third referral to social services in the case, and social worker Theresa Ferguson of Haringey Council was put in charge.

She said it was safe to place the baby in her parents’ care despite opposition by doctors.

Ms O’Neill added: “Almost all of the professionals at the hospital were opposed to the baby being discharged into the parent’s care at home and had expressed their concern about the parents’ ability to meet the baby’s emotional, developmental and physical needs on many occasions to the social services.

“Theresa Ferguson discussed the plan of regular unannounced visits and referral to various agencies as the means by which the situation could be kept under control and Lily-Mai’s safety ensured.

“A number of the hospital staff present were not convinced but the decision had been made to discharge and there was nothing they could do about it.”

Jurors also heard Saint George would become angry, was not bonding with her baby and once told doctors she “hated the noises” Lily-Mai made.

The trial, which is being presided over by Mr Justice Martin Spencer, continues.