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AAP
AAP
National
Laine Clark

Jury discharged in home birth manslaughter trial

A jury hearing the home birth manslaughter trial of Robyn Mary James has been discharged. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

A jury has been discharged in a trial of a doctor accused of manslaughter after a woman gave birth at home and died of heavy blood loss.

Robyn Mary James, 67, had pleaded not guilty to the charge after Vicki Butler died the day she gave birth at her Ipswich home west of Brisbane.

Ms Butler, 41, died as a result of a postpartum haemorrhage which she suffered between James' arrival at 5am and when the doctor called an ambulance at 6.42am on December 27, 2017, the prosecution said.

Photos retrieved from Ms Butler's phone showed she had given birth between 3.22am and 4.07am.

She was rushed to Ipswich General Hospital, where doctors spent all day trying to revive her, transfusing 23 units of blood before she was pronounced dead at 6.15pm.

The child survived.

Robyn James
Robyn Mary James has pleaded not guilty to manslaughter after an allegation of criminal negligence. (Darren England/AAP PHOTOS)

It was alleged at the Brisbane Supreme Court trial James was criminally negligent in her delay in seeking emergency assistance for Ms Butler.

It was further alleged she breached her duty of care to Ms Butler in that she should have recognised postpartum haemorrhage symptoms and known the potentially fatal consequences.

Justice Elizabeth Watson discharged the jury on Monday.

The matter is set to be mentioned on Thursday.

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