Birthkeeper hired by woman who died after freebirth tells inquest she was ‘not there to make a birth safer’

Emily Lal (in grey coat) leaves the inquest into the death of Stacey Warnecke at the Melbourne coroner’s court on Tuesday. Photograph: Con Chronis/AAP

A birthkeeper hired by a woman who died after giving birth at home has told a coroner that she was “not there to make a birth safer”.

Emily Lal gave evidence on Tuesday at the inquest into the death of 30-year-old Stacey Warnecke, who died on 29 September in Frankston hospital after giving birth at home with her husband and Lal present.