A baby girl allegedly squeezed to death was subjected to a “substantial force that was way beyond rough play”, a court has been told.
Laura Langley, 37, is on trial at Preston Crown Court accused of murdering her daughter Edith by inflicting “terrible injuries”.
Prosecutors say the seven-week-old victim suffered 33 rib fractures at the defendant’s hands.
Giving expert evidence on Tuesday, Professor David Mangham told the jury that 30 of the fractures happened hours before death, including “very close” to it.
He also identified three older cracked ribs which he said happened between two and four days earlier.
This is a very high number of fractures to identify in these kind of cases. That implies a high level of force - a substantial force being delivered that was way beyond rough play and something that would alarm an onlooker— Professor David Mangham
The consultant pathologist, a specialist in bones, was sent a series of samples after Edith’s post-mortem examination.
Asked by prosecutor Timothy Cray KC to explain his findings, Prof Mangham said: “This is a very high number of fractures to identify in these kind of cases.
“That implies a high level of force – a substantial force being delivered that was way beyond rough play and something that would alarm an onlooker.”
He said the injuries were “most likely” caused by a squeezing or compressive force to the ribcage.
Prof Mangham said it is well recognised in literature that CPR chest compressions on babies can cause rib fractures to the front – but not the back.
He said: “I don’t deny CPR could have caused some of the anterior (front) fractures but it can’t account for all of them.
“The number is too high and the severity of the fractures is too great.
“And also there are some older fractures which obviously are not CPR.”
The post-mortem evidence suggests that, sadly, those accounts from the defendant were untrue because Edith had died from terrible injuries— Prosecutor Timothy Cray KC
Langley called 999 just before 4am on Friday November 20 2020 and said her daughter was not breathing.
Paramedics were at the family home in Belgrave Road, Marton, Blackpool, within minutes and took over chest compressions.
Edith was taken to the seaside resort’s Victoria Hospital but could not be revived and was declared dead at 4.43am.
Opening the case last week, Mr Cray said in the days after Edith’s death, the defendant said it was sudden and unexplained.
He said the “furthest she went” in terms of her own responsibility was to blame herself for drinking alcohol on the Thursday night and into the Friday morning.
The barrister told the jury: “The post-mortem evidence suggests that, sadly, those accounts from the defendant were untrue because Edith had died from terrible injuries.”
Langley denies murder and child cruelty.
Tana Adkin KC, defending, highlighted to the jury a research paper that looked at four “very new” infants who died after the two-thumb technique of CPR was used and all had posterior (back) rib fractures.
Miss Adkin suggested to Prof Mangham: “So it’s not unheard of, is it?”
Prof Mangham replied there were a “couple of research papers” on the subject in which peer-reviewed publications did not follow, as opposed to a wider study of 500-plus cases where no posterior fractures were found.
The court heard that another bone expert, with some 50 years of experience, thought that Edith did not sustain any rib fractures days before her death.
The trial continues on Wednesday.
