A nurse has testified that Isabelle Welsh's mother 'kind of lunged' at her during a discussion about a safeguarding referral, the murder trial at Teesside Crown Court heard.
Nurse's Account of the Incident
The nurse stated that when she spoke to Alexandra Walker, Isabelle's mother, about safeguarding procedures on September 2 last year, Walker 'kind of lunged forward at me.' The nurse added: 'Mum's over the top of me at this point. I remember thinking if she hits me, I'm a goner because I can't get out of the room.'
The incident occurred in 'the farmyard room' within the paediatric department at University Hospital of North Tees, Stockton, where the nurse was seated with Walker and Isabelle. The nurse confirmed that Walker did not strike her but shouted that the safeguarding referral was 'totally unnecessary and totally over-the-top' and said she was taking Isabelle home.
Safeguarding Concerns Raised
The nurse explained that the safeguarding concern was flagged because 'there were four red flags that night - bruises on soft tissue; a social care note for domestic violence; the fracture; and the delayed presentation of two weeks.' Isabelle had been brought to A&E on September 2 with a fractured leg, 'struggling to bear weight on her leg' following 'an injury two weeks earlier.'
The nurse became visibly emotional when questioned about Isabelle's return to the hospital on September 13. She recalled being alerted to a child requiring resuscitation and was told the patient had sustained a broken leg. Prosecutor Paul Abrahams asked: 'Shortly after that you learned that the patient was Isabelle Welsh, who you flagged as a safeguarding concern on September 2?' The nurse confirmed, adding that Isabelle 'was covered from top to toe in bruises.'
Isabelle's Injuries and Death
Isabelle was transferred to the Royal Victoria Hospital in Newcastle and pronounced dead at 2.48am the following day. Jurors heard that Isabelle sustained fractures to 21 separate bones, including her skull and spine, alongside a bleed on her brain and at least 97 soft tissue injuries. Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, told the court: 'She had been subject to a series of physical and sexual abuse in the days and weeks leading up to her death.'
Defendants and Charges
Alexandra Walker, 25, of Hartington Close in Thornaby, and her boyfriend Harrison Simpson, 22, of Greenham Close, Thorntree, deny murder. They also deny causing or allowing the death of a child on September 14, assault by penetration in September last year, and cruelty to a person under 16. The trial continues.
