A two-year-old girl suffered 21 broken bones in the weeks before her death, a court has heard. Isabelle Rose Welsh collapsed at her home in Hartington Close, Thornaby, Teesside, after sustaining a massive head injury and could not be saved, jurors were told.
Defendants Deny Charges
Her mother, Alexandra Walker, 25, and Harrison Simpson, 22, deny murder, allowing the death of a child, sexual assault, and child cruelty. They are on trial at Teesside Crown Court. The couple began their relationship last summer, and Simpson became a regular visitor to Walker's home, spending a lot of time with Isabelle.
On September 13, Walker called 999 after her daughter collapsed. Paramedics found Isabelle at the foot of the stairs, without a pulse and gravely ill. She was covered in bruises, particularly to her head, neck, abdomen, back, and private parts. Her nappy contained blood, and she had vomit on her face.
Prosecution Case
Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said Isabelle had been violently shaken, her spine over-extended, and her head hit against a hard surface. He stated: "For weeks this child had been violently assaulted and her death, by that terrible head injury, was simply the end point in that campaign of violence to which she had been subjected."
The prosecution argues that both Walker and Simpson had ample opportunity to harm the toddler. In the small two-bedroom house, each must have been aware of the abuse. Wright said Walker took Isabelle to the GP and hospital 11 days before her death when a leg fracture was found, but despite medics' concerns, she was discharged back into her mother's care.
Delayed Medical Help
The prosecution contends the leg fracture was no more an accident than the fatal head injury. A post-mortem examination revealed fractures to 21 bones and bruising from forceful gripping. Walker allegedly waited two weeks before reporting the fractured leg. Wright added: "When Isabelle was gravely unwell in the week before she died no medical assistance was sought, and even on the day she died, after her heart had stopped... Alexandra Walker only called an ambulance when her stepfather told her to."
Wright suggested the delay was an act of self-preservation: "They knew the questions that would come and had no convincing answer for them." The couple had an unhealthy relationship involving drink and drugs, which led to a decline in Isabelle's care and regular violence at home. CCTV from two cameras installed at Walker's home was also presented. The trial continues.
