Manslaughter trial hears how baby's brain injuries likely to have been 'catastrophic or repetitive'

Jurors in a manslaughter trial were told that there appeared to be "no obvious medical cause" of the fatal brain injuries suffered by a ten-month old baby girl.
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A doctor told a court that colleagues who assessed baby Skyla Giller considered it likely that her injuries were "catastrophic or repetitive."

Paramedic Sarah Higgins, now of Hillcrest Avenue, Townville, Castleford, is on trial at Leeds Crown Court accused of the manslaughter of her foster daughter.

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The prosecution claims Higgins must have caused the fatal injuries to Skyla after losing her temper and subjecting her to a "violent action".

Sarah Higgins is on trial atLeeds Crown Court accused of the manslaughter of her foster daughter. (SWNS)Sarah Higgins is on trial atLeeds Crown Court accused of the manslaughter of her foster daughter. (SWNS)
Sarah Higgins is on trial atLeeds Crown Court accused of the manslaughter of her foster daughter. (SWNS)

Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedic accused of killing her baby foster daughter after 'losing her temper'Skyla died at Leeds General Infirmary two days after Higgins dialled 999 and told an operator that she had dropped the baby onto the floor while feeding her.

Higgins, 42, and her husband Martin Dobson are both Yorkshire Ambulance Service paramedics and were in the process of adopting Skyla at the time of her death on August 26, 2017.

Consultant paediatrician Elizabeth Day told the jury how she examined Skyla after she was admitted to hospital and found five bruises on the baby's right arm.

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The jury was shown a diagram of where the bruises appeared on Skyla's arm.

Prosecutor Richard Wright QC asked Dr Day: "What view did you form about the five marks?"

The doctor replied: "No explanation has been provided for this."

The trial has heard that Skyla also suffered bleeding to eye tissue and optic nerves.

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Dr Day said an ophthalmology report suggested that a "traumatic cause" should be considered as there was no obvious medical cause for the injuries.

The doctor said the cause of the injuries were likely to be "catastrophic or repetitive."

Dr Day told the court she interviewed Higgins about the incident at her then home on Oakfield Grove, Skelmanthorpe, Huddersfield, on August 24, 2017.

The doctor said Higgins described how she had been sat on a wooden rocking chair feeding Skyla

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The defendant said the baby had been "grizzly" and was not taking her milk.

Dr Day said: "Sarah stood up to turn Skyla around to face her and, in her words, 'I lost grip of her'"

Higgins said the baby fell to the floor from around chest height and the lower part of her body made contact with the carpeted floor.

The doctor said Higgins described how she did not think it to be a "significant fall".

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Higgins told the doctor that Skyla did not initially appear to be injured and she put the baby back in her cot.

She described how she became concerned when Skyla's face "went blank" and she noticed blood in her mouth.

Higgins went on to describe how Skyla's body went "went floppy and the colour drained from her body."

Dr Day said: "Sarah said she called Martin on her mobile phone. She thought this was the quickest way of summoning help."

"Sarah then ran to the lounge and dialled 999."

The doctor said Higgins told her she then ran across the street to get a neighbour and screamed: "Please help me."

Higgins pleads not guilty to manslaughter.

The trial continues.