As the trial continued on Tuesday (7 May), Roughley’s evidence resumed. She told the court ‘words can’t describe’ how she felt the day Genevieve was found unresponsive.
The deputy manager of Tiny Toes Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, who is accused of the manslaughter of Genevieve Meehan, told the court she was ‘distraught and heartbroken’ after finding the child unresponsive.
Kate Roughely, 37, denies manslaughter by ill-treatment of Genevieve, known as Gigi to her parents, and an alternate count of child abuse.
It is alleged Roughley swaddled Genevieve and strapped her face down on a bean bag to sleep with another cover over her on 9 May 2022.
Emergency services were unable to revive the child who was later pronounced dead in hospital that afternoon.
When asked by her KC, Sarah Elliott, ‘When paramedics came and tried to resuscitate her, did you think she might live?’
‘I did yes’, Roughley replied, who said she was in shock when speaking with Police that day.
The defendant went on to say she took time off work but did visit the nursery, however 'wasn't taking in' what was being said, adding 'I was concerned by the fact I might be blamed for it.'
When asked by her KC if she thought she was going to get blamed for Genevieve’s death, Roughley said, ‘I had a feeling they were going to try and blame me, yes.’
The defendant previously told the court how the nursery failed on several occasions to adhere to staff: child ratios. It is also alleged only first aid training was given to staff and then had to fund other courses themselves.
The court was shown CCTV footage of the days leading up to Genevie’s death. Asked by Ms Elliott about the way she moved the babies around the room, Roughley said she came across ‘less patient’ than she would have liked.
However, she said that children were ‘never upset or hurt’ by being moved ‘too quickly’.
The footage showed the defendant moving a child away from Genevieve, who was sleeping on 5 May. Asked about the clip, she said, ‘It was not an okay way to move a child. I wish I conducted myself a lot more patiently than I did when I moved that child.’
Roughley also told jurors how she would sing or chant, or make up ‘little rhymes’ as a coping strategy at work. Prosecutors previously alleged that was done with ‘malice’.
In one piece of footage, Roughley could be heard chanting and singing, ‘Go see Daddy. Go see Daddy.’
Asked by Ms Elliott if there was any ‘ill feeling towards Genevieve at that stage’, Roughley replied, ‘No, not at all.’
Jurors previously heard in a clip of CCTV footage Roughley sing, ‘Genevieve, Gevenveive…stop your whinging Genevieve.’
Asked why she sang those words, she told the court, ‘At this point she wasn’t actually crying, she was having a bit of a stress at the toy. I was just entertaining the room of children. There was no malice or intent.’
The trial continues.
