A deputy manager of a nursery has been found guilty of manslaughter after a nine-month-old baby died when he was tightly tied to a beanbag.
Kate Roughley, 37, was accused of manslaughter for ill-treatment of Genevieve Meehan, known as Gigi to her family, on 9 May 2022 at Tiny Toes in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.
Prosecutors said the young woman died from asphyxiation due to a combination of “pathophysiological stress” after Roughley placed her face down, tightly bandaged and tied to a beanbag chair and covered with a blanket.
She then ignored Genevieve’s screams and distress and showed “sporadic” and “fleeting” interest in her well-being for an hour and 37 minutes, prosecutors added, until she found her sad and unresponsive.
Roughley, who was the leader in charge of the baby’s room that day, told Manchester Crown Court that she put Genevieve aside, claiming her face was visible the entire time.
She said she had no concerns about being in danger.
On Monday, a jury of six men and six women at Manchester Crown Court unanimously found Roughley, of Heaton Norris, Stockport, guilty of manslaughter.
Prosecutors said the child’s death was caused by a “very unsafe sleeping environment” created by Roughley, which left Genevieve, known to her family as Gigi, in “mortal danger.”
Peter Wright KC said the defendant inappropriately covered Genevieve with a blanket and deliberately did nothing about it.
In her closing speech to the judges, Wright said that Roughley “considered that Genevieve was taking up too much of her time and was very vocal, very demanding, so she was going to do something about it.
“Genevieve was being punished for her previous misdeeds, for not getting enough sleep for her liking. She was being banished to the beanbag and restrained.
“It was a recipe for disaster, and disaster followed.”
This breaking news is being updated and more details will be published soon.
Refresh the page for the most complete version.
You can receive breaking news alerts on a smartphone or tablet through Sky News app. You can also follow @SkyNews on X or subscribe to our Youtube channel to stay up to date with the latest news.
This story originally appeared on News.sky.com read the full story
