Lily-Mai Hurrell Saint George was subjected to 18 rib fractures, a leg fracture, and a fatal head injury allegedly inflicted by forceful shaking at the hands of Lauren Saint George and Darren Hurrell, both 25.
The infant had been discharged into her parents' care just six days earlier despite warnings being issued by hospital staff, a jury was told on Thursday.
Wood Green Crown Court heard how police were called to the domestic incident at the family's flat in Duckett's Green, north London, the day before the child arrived home.
Theresa Ferguson, a Haringey Social Worker, told the couple Lily-Mai would have to go into a residential unit around four or five hours before the infant's mum made a 999 call on the night of January 31 2018, the jury heard.
Lily-Mai was taken to North Middlesex Hospital suffering from injuries in keeping with suspected physical abuse but died two days later on February 2 after being transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital, said prosecutor Sally O’Neill QC.
Saint George, of Enfield in north London, and Hurrell, of Alvaston in Derby, are on trial, where both deny murder, manslaughter, causing or allowing a death and child cruelty.
Lauren Saint George arrives at Wood Green Crown Court, London, where she and Darren Hurrell are charged with the murder of their baby daughter 10-week-old Lily-Mai Saint George
James Manning
Ms O’Neill stated: “It is the Crown’s case that these two defendants, Lily-Mai’s parents, were responsible for her death and that these fatal injuries were caused to Lily-Mai by forceful shaking shortly before that 999 call only six days after she had been discharged into their care.”
The pair had been housed in a small flat, the court heard, while their baby was still in Barnet Hospital, having been born prematurely at 31 weeks.
Ms Ferguson, a Social Worker with Haringey Child and Family Services, was allocated the case after concerns were raised over the parents’ ability to care for Lily-Mai.
A decision was made to discharge the baby after a meeting that Saint George, who had documented mental health issues, stormed out of due to “anger issues”, said Ms O’Neill.
Darren Hurrell arrives at Wood Green Crown Court, London, where he and Lauren Saint George are charged with the murder of their baby daughter 10-week-old Lily-Mai Saint George
James Manning
“Almost all of the professionals at the hospital were opposed to the baby being discharged into the parents’ care at home and had expressed their concern about the parents’ ability to meet the baby’s emotional, developmental and physical needs on many occasions to the social services but nonetheless, the decision was made to discharge the baby into the care of her parents and the hospital had to accept that and deal with the situation as best they could,” she added.
A duty social worker visited the family on January 26 while Ms Ferguson made a home visit when she returned to work on January 30, followed by the health visitor, Alberta Nyantaki, on the same day.
Although Ms Nyantaki concluded that Lily-Mai’s needs were being “satisfactorily met”, she expressed “serious concerns” to Ms Ferguson, who told her the threshold for a child care protection plan had been met because of the couple’s volatility, the court heard.
That legal process, in the form of a legal gateway meeting, began the following day and Ms Ferguson visited the flat at around 3pm to explain options for a residential placement for the family or for Hurrell and the baby to go in without Saint George.
“Lauren Saint George reacted by becoming irate and saying that she wasn’t going into a unit and Theresa Ferguson could take the baby,” said Ms O’Neill, who explained that Hurrell agreed he would go into the unit.
“Theresa Ferguson left apparently confident in Darren Hurrell’s ability to protect Lily-Mai in the home and accepted his assurance that he would go to the residential unit the following day.
“Lily-Mai’s collapse happened later that day. The 999 call was made at 21.08 later that day so about four or five hours after Theresa Ferguson had left the family.”
The five-week trial continues.