A girl’s parents say they will “never forgive the callousness” of a nurse convicted of murdering their “wonderful daughter”.
Kate Roughley, 37, was found guilty of manslaughter for ill-treatment following the incident on 9 May 2022 at Tiny Toes in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.
Prosecutors said the young woman died of asphyxiation due to a combination of “pathophysiological stress” after the deputy manager placed her face down, tightly bandaged and tied to a beanbag chair and covered with a blanket.
After Monday’s verdict, Genevieve’s father, John Meehan, read a statement from the family as his partner, Katie Wheeler, looked on in tears.
“We will never forgive the callousness of Kate Roughley’s actions,” he said.
“She was charged with caring for our daughter, but she put her own convenience and selfish interests above Genevieve’s life.
“She treated our daughter with cruelty and contempt. Knowing what she had done, she could have taken responsibility and saved our family from enduring the horror of this trial.
“However, this basic act of decency was beyond her. Instead, she lied and lied and lied all the time, and sought to divert attention to anyone but herself.
“She showed no remorse for Genevieve’s death. Her expressions of sadness during the trial were as false as they were insulting.”
In a statement released by Greater Manchester Police, the family described how Genevieve “loved laughing, playing with the tambourine, eating spaghetti bolognese and being with her big sister”.
They added: “We are so desperate for her to be in our arms as she should be and seeing her put on her school uniform in September when she would have started pre-school.
“Instead, here we are in a place we never could have imagined when we took her to daycare that day, May 9, where she was supposed to be safe and cared for.
“The pain of your loss is beyond measure.”
The court heard how Roughley ignored Genevieve’s screams and distress and showed “sporadic” and “fleeting” interest in her well-being for an hour and 37 minutes until she found her sad and unresponsive.
Genevieve Meehan died after being tied face down to a bean bag chair. Photo: Family leaflet via Greater Manchester Police
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 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 in “mortal danger.”
Peter Wright KC said the young girl’s desperate fight for survival was clear, but her crying and the shaking and wriggling of her body were routinely and repeatedly ignored.
Photo: Family handout via PA
Roughley paid lip service to any meaningful checks and to Genevieve’s well-being until it was too late, he said.
His actions were said to have been fueled by an “illogical and disturbing hostility” towards the young man, which was revealed in new CCTV footage from 5 and 6 May.
She was subjected to “rough treatment” by Roughley, who called her a “stress head” and on one occasion told her: “Genevieve, go home. Do you have to be so loud and constant? Change the record.”
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Detective Inspector Charlotte Whalley, speaking outside Manchester Crown Court, said: “Genevieve should have gone home to her family that day and it was due to the actions of Kate Roughley that she did not.
“From the beginning, my team has worked tirelessly with CPS and the board to ensure we can bring some sense of justice to the family… and we will continue to do everything we can to support them.”
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