Heartbroken parents of a baby girl who was killed at her nursery are still searching for answers almost three years after her death.
Katie Wheeler and John Meehan have urged an inquest into the death of their daughter Genevieve in May 2022 be resumed. Last May nursery worker Kate Roughley was found guilty of the manslaughter of nine-month-old Genevieve. As the Manchester Evening news reports, the 37-year-old swaddled the infant, strapped her face down on a bean bag and left her for an hour-and-a-half.
At a pre-inquest review today (February 13), Genevieve’s parents, Katie Wheeler and John Meehan, urged for a full inquest into the tragedy to go ahead. Gerard McDermott KC, representing the family, told Stockport Coroners’ Court: “The family does not want to rush it, but quite a long time has passed. I was going to use the word closure, I’m not sure people ever get closure.
The inquest had not gone ahead pending the criminal prosecution over Genevieve’s death. But the court heard the family is still searching for answers over possible ‘failures to follow national guidelines’, and the ‘inappropriate use of bean bags’.
Mr McDermott added the parents want to know what processes are ‘in place at the nursery’ and what more could have been done to save their daughter.
A criminal case last year heard how Roughley was caring for Genevieve in her role as deputy manager and ‘baby room leader’ at Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, in May 2022.
Manchester Crown Court was told that Roughley had shown ‘hostility’ towards the infant in the days before her death. She was overheard on CCTV telling the crying child to ‘stop your whinging’, calling her a ‘stress head’ and singing ‘Genevieve, go home… Genevieve, go home’.
Less than an hour later, Roughley wrapped Genevieve and put her in a cot face down with a blanket pulled over her.
She then placed a sheet over the far end of the cot, restricting the tot’s visibility. Later, at around 1.30pm, she then tightly swaddled Genevieve in a blanket, wrapping her arms and legs inside and placed her face down on a bean bag before strapping her down with a harness.
Genevieve, known by her parents as Gigi, was unable to move and face down from 1.35pm to 3.12pm as Roughley ignored her distressed cries. She eventually checked on her, finding her blue and unconscious and raised the alarm.
Staff – then paramedics – attempted to revive Genevieve, but her condition was irreversible. She was pronounced dead later that day at Stepping Hill hospital, with her cause of death recorded as a combination of asphyxia and ‘pathophysiological stress’.
Following a four-week trial, Roughley was unanimously found guilty of manslaughter by jurors on Monday, May 20. She denied the offence; and an alternate offence of child cruelty.
“To read again what happened is just extraordinary,” said Mr McDermott, speaking on behalf of the parents who attended the hearing but did not speak in the coroners’ court today.
The court heard how Stockport Council’s Trading Standards’ branch is currently carrying out its own ‘health and safety’ investigation into the nursery. Nigel Lawrence KC, representing the council’s Trading Standards said that the investigation could result in the prosecution of ‘related offences’ – although these would not be homicidal offences, which have already been dealt with during the previous criminal case last year.
“Our investigation is looking at risk across two rooms over a prolonged period of time, not just when Genevieve was there, and – in relation to the risk – whether certain individuals were performing their roles and functions in an adequate manner,” said Mr Lawrence.
Coroner Alison Mutch today held the pre-inquest review to take information from parties with an interest in the case. That information will inform the inquest will be resumed at this stage.
The counsel representing Tiny Toes Nursery, Tom Day, argued that the ‘inquest should not be resumed’. But added that ‘realistically’, based on decisions made at the last pre-inquest review in June 2024, ‘to adjourn pending the local authority investigation, we’d submit, that continues to be the most appropriate course of action’.
Mr Lawrence, for the local authority, said the council would be remaining neutral but would not be opposed to the inquest resuming as it ‘wouldn’t be abnormal for an inquest to proceed while a health and safety investigation is ongoing’. “We won’t be in a position to finalise the findings until the autumn and if there’s a prosecution following… we’d be looking at several years [to get through the court system],” said Mr Lawrence.
Ms Mutch asked for all final submissions about whether the inquest should be resumed from interested parties to be sent to her by February 27. The coroner said a decision on whether the full inquest will go ahead at this stage, or that decision will be delayed again and the inquest will be adjourned, will be made by March 14.
If a decision is made to resume the inquest, another pre-inquest review will be held, said Ms Mutch. Ofsted and the former manager of the nursery were also represented at the review today.
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