UK - Brendon Staddon - 2 week old baby died in Yeovil District Hospital. Parents charged with Murder.

[bobbymkii]

Woman in court charged with murdering two-week-old baby in hospital

Sophie Staddon, 20, is accused, along with Daniel Gunter, 25, of killing Brendon Staddon at Yeovil District Hospital on 5 March.

news.sky.com

 

[Dpdan]

I wonder what the circumstances were?

 

[bobbymkii]

I wonder what the circumstances were?

Maybe we'll find out a bit more when they have their crown court hearing. But from what little we have so far it looks like the alleged murder may have actually taken place in the hospital itself, as opposed to taking place in their home and little Brendon dying in hospital?
But they're also both charged with causing/allowing, suggesting that the death may not have been intentional or that only one of them caused fatal injury.
There's a lot more to learn about this case for sure, but the mere fact that both of them have been charged with murder so soon (only 3 days) after the victim died does not bode well for them.

 

[MadeleineMaxwell]

IN the hospital? That's very odd.

 

[Dpdan]

Peculiar that they had no fixed address, but that wouldn't be a reason in itself for Brendon to be an inpatient imo.

 

[MadeleineMaxwell]

Possibly as a place of safety or awaiting family court hearing? Rare but it does happen.

 

[tlcya]

That charge alleges that “being a member of the same household as and having had frequent contact” with Brendon, they either caused his death or did not protect him from a foreseeable “significant risk of serious physical harm”.
[snip]
During Staddon's court appearance, Presiding Justice Victoria McNiven told Staddon: “This matter is being sent to Bristol Crown Court on 11 March at 10am. In the meantime, you are being remanded in custody.”
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountr...court-charged-with-murdering-baby-in-hospital

this article makes it sound like the baby was injured elsewhere and then admitted to hospital where staff involved authorities.

 

[LadyL]

Sleep peacefully baby Brendon.

 

[bobbymkii]

Court listing for Monday:

BRISTOL

Court 1 - sitting at 10:00 am

HIS HONOUR JUDGE HART​

For Application

U20240487

STADDON,Sophie & GUNTER,Daniel

Application Under the Bail Act - Defendant not required

 

[bobbymkii]

That charge alleges that “being a member of the same household as and having had frequent contact” with Brendon, they either caused his death or did not protect him from a foreseeable “significant risk of serious physical harm”.
[snip]
During Staddon's court appearance, Presiding Justice Victoria McNiven told Staddon: “This matter is being sent to Bristol Crown Court on 11 March at 10am. In the meantime, you are being remanded in custody.”
https://www.itv.com/news/westcountr...court-charged-with-murdering-baby-in-hospital

this article makes it sound like the baby was injured elsewhere and then admitted to hospital where staff involved authorities.

No I think the "same household" phrase is just the general wording used in the law under which they've been charged with for Causing or allowing the death of Brendon, rather than describing where the offence actually took place:

5 The offence​

(1) A person (“D”) is guilty of an offence if—

(a) a child or vulnerable adult (“V”) dies [F1or suffers serious physical harm] as a result of the unlawful act of a person who—

(i) was a member of the same household as V, and

(ii) had frequent contact with him,

Domestic Violence, Crime and Victims Act 2004

An Act to amend Part 4 of the Family Law Act 1996, the Protection from Harassment Act 1997 and the Protection from Harassment (Northern Ireland) Order 1997; to make provision about homicide; to make common assault an arrestable offence; to make provision for the payment of surcharges by...

www.legislation.gov.uk

 

[bobbymkii]

Baby in murder case suffered fractured skull before dying

Brendon Staddon was just two weeks old when he lost his life. Daniel Gunter, 25, and Sophie Staddon, 20, have both been charged with the baby's murder.

www.bristolpost.co.uk

 

[missf]

Baby in murder case suffered fractured skull before dying

Brendon Staddon was just two weeks old when he lost his life. Daniel Gunter, 25, and Sophie Staddon, 20, have both been charged with the baby's murder.

www.bristolpost.co.uk

So the baby had been in the hospital since birth and the injury must have happened there. How horrible.

 

[missf]

Hi everyone, I've made an account here specifically to say that I knew Sophie (but not Daniel) for many years. I won't be providing proof of this to protect my own privacy, but I will say that we lived on the same road as eachother for about 6 years, and were quite close friends during this time. Additionally, we attended the same primary and secondary school. I'm not exactly sure what kind of questions you may have pertaining to her, but I am willing to answer whatever.
Edit: I will likely refrain from doing so until things become more clear, though.

I'm so sorry you are close to this tragedy. It must have come as a terrible shock. Were you still in touch?

 

[beevorweevor]

I'm so sorry you are close to this tragedy. It must have come as a terrible shock. Were you still in touch?

It really, really, was. I never expected such a thing, but, then again, who does? The place where we live is quite shocked, as everyone tends to know everyone here. I heard from someone who visited the hospital yesterday with their spouse (both who live in the same area as me) that the poor nurses there were just absolutely distraught at being unable to save the baby. It's just awful. I feel so deeply sad for them, it brings me close to tears.

We partially lost contact when we were both 16 partly due to the pandemic, but mostly because we went our separate ways academically, but we did end up meeting in person and chatting a few times before she moved away to Yeovil, which is fairly far away, about a couple years ago. After that, we saw each other only once more, around a year ago, and never again. I attempted to contact her again around half a year ago, but was basically told to F off by her boyfriend (Daniel), despite my intentions only being friendly. I think she would have been pregnant with Brendon at this time.

 

[esther43]

It will be interesting to hear more as the detail unfolds. I'm assuming they'll be eye witnesses for the alleged 'negligence'
The charge in itself surprised me as the infant was being cared for by the neonatal unit from birth.

 

[esther43]

Possibly as a place of safety or awaiting family court hearing? Rare but it does happen.

 

[esther43]

I'd agree. In usual circumstances where a baby goes to full term, if there was a safeguarding risk then arrangements would be made via maternity to have social workers/ foster carers at the birth.
When a baby is born premature, it alters the fate of the family to some extent and even if they are known to services, there is almost a 'window of opportunity' to prove themselves as 'competent parents' because the baby remains in the care of the hospital for a longer period, therefore it doesn't carry the same level of risk as sending a newborn baby home with parents so they can remain involved.
In effect, this means parents can visit their baby in the neonatal ward, even if they have been previously considered high risk.
If the risks were relatively high, say for example the father had a known history of domestic abuse, it would be the responsibility of the unit to put sanctions in place to minimize risk. This might include parents visiting the unit at different times.
If there was a previous known risk to children, then it's likely that the parents would only be able to attend the unit accompanied by a social worker and would remain fully supervised whilst visiting the unit.
It's also possible that the unit had one rule for the Mother and one rule for the Father. That can often happen, for example the Mother may have been staying on the ward in the transitional care room. (They only have one of these) and the hospital could have been working to support her but not him.

 

[MadeleineMaxwell]

The information that he was born at 33 weeks explains why he was still in hospital at 2 weeks old. It would be unusual for mum to still be in the hospital at 2 weeks, even with a premature baby. Maybe in hospital accommodation if they didn't live nearby?

Have I missed information on how this actually happened? He would have been cared for with nurses/midwives/care assistants around all the time, even without specific SS concerns.

 

[QB2022]

When my son was in hospital as a newborn the staff were so stretched that we did pretty much the entire 24 hour care except hooking up to his medicine pump 4 times a day and his 4 hourly obs. I wonder if it can lull other services into a false sense of security that they don't need to worry as much because he's under the care of the hospital when in reality, parents will be doing much of the care.

Equally, he may not have been eligible for an emergency care order if he was safely under the care of hospital.

Or it could have been completely out of the blue

 

[esther43]

The information that he was born at 33 weeks explains why he was still in hospital at 2 weeks old. It would be unusual for mum to still be in the hospital at 2 weeks, even with a premature baby. Maybe in hospital accommodation if they didn't live nearby?

Have I missed information on how this actually happened? He would have been cared for with nurses/midwives/care assistants around all the time, even without specific SS concerns.

I don't think you've missed anything - nothing much released yet.
I think it depends on the neonatal unit and what accomodations they have, this usually determines whether the parent stays with the baby on the neonatal ward. These parent rooms are usually reserved for Mothers who are establishing breastfeeding or preparing to go home but if a baby gets sick, then the parents of that baby will be prioritized.
As you say, the Mother would be discharged from the postnatal ward within a few days, so they defo wouldn't have kept them on that ward for long.
I am wondering though, whether midwifery would be happy to discharge a mother of a vulnerable baby into the community with no fixed abode?