Stockport nursery worker found guilty of killing nine-month-old girl

A nursery nurse who strapped a baby girl face down on to a bean bag for more than a hour has been convicted of her manslaughter.

Nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan was also tightly swaddled and covered with a blanket by Kate Roughley, 37, who put her to sleep when she was in her care at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

Roughley, deputy manager at the nursery, discovered Genevieve’s lifeless body on the afternoon of May 9 2022 before colleagues and then paramedics attempted to revive the baby, affectionately known to her family as Gigi..

But the baby’s condition was irreversible and she was pronounced dead later that day in hospital.

On Monday, a jury of six men and six women at Manchester Crown Court unanimously found Roughley, of Heaton Norris, Stockport, guilty of manslaughter.

Roughley was remanded in custody ahead of her sentencing on Wednesday afternoon.

The prosecution said the youngster’s death from asphyxiation brought on by a combination of pathophysiological stresses was a direct result of Roughley’s actions in creating a “very unsafe sleeping environment”.

Peter Wright KC said the defendant had placed Genevieve in “mortal danger” with the sleeping arrangements, also inappropriately covering her with a blanket, and then deliberately did nothing about it.

In his closing speech to the jurors, Mr Wright said: “She considered Genevieve was occupying too much of her time and was too vocal, too demanding, so she was going to do something about it.

“Genevieve was being punished for her earlier perceived misdemeanours, for not sleeping long enough for her liking. She was being banished to the bean bag and restrained.

“It was a recipe for disaster, and disaster there followed.”

This is a breaking news story – more to follow

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/nursery-worker-stockport-girl-death-guilty-b2548070.html