Toddler Poppi denied justice over ‘troubling and suspicious’ death, inquest told
A 13-month-old girl who died in “troubling” and suspicious circumstances has been “denied justice” an inquest has heard.
Poppi Worthington collapsed at home with injuries a pathologist suspected were caused by a sexual abuse, Kendal Coroner’s Court was told.
The otherwise healthy toddler woke up screaming at around 5.30am on December 12 2012 at the family home in Barrow, Cumbria, and her father, Paul Worthington, put her in his bed and went to get a fresh nappy, the inquest heard.
When he returned she had settled but five or 10 minutes later he reached over and she was limp or floppy and he ran downstairs and the child’s mother called an ambulance.
Paramedics carried out a “scoop and run”, delivering the apparently lifeless girl to Furness General Hospital at 6.11am but she never regained consciousness and was pronounced dead shortly after 7am.
Medics noted the child was bleeding from her bottom.
A judge later concluded that Mr Worthington probably sexually assaulted his daughter by anal penetration shortly before her death, while ruling on family court proceedings involving the family.
On Thursday, at the second inquest into Poppi’s death, after the first was quashed by the High Court as “irregular”, lawyers made final submissions to Senior Coroner for Cumbria David Roberts, who must rule on how she came by her death.
The inquest has heard 10 days of evidence from an array of expert medical witnesses, with Poppi’s cause of death remaining “unascertained”.
The post-mortem examination findings of Dr Alison Armour, that Poppi had been penetrated and had tears in her bottom, have been hotly disputed.
Mr Worthington, who denies any wrongdoing, refused to answer questions 252 times, citing his right to remain silent under Rule 22 of the Coroners (Inquests) Rules 2013, that he was not obliged to answer any questions tending to incriminate him.
The inquest also heard that an investigation by Cumbria Police was so botched that vital evidence was lost – and so exactly what happened to Poppi will never be known and no-one will be charged with any offence.
Gillian Irving QC, representing Poppi’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said: “So far as the mother is concerned, they have denied Poppi justice and denied her the opportunity of establishing or helping to establish a cause of death.
“If it was not such a tragedy, one could best describe the response of Cumbria Constabulary to Poppi’s death as a comedy of errors.”
Ms Irving agreed with legal submissions from Mr Worthington’s lawyers that there is not enough evidence for the coroner to conclude Poppi was unlawfully killed – but there was “clear evidence” that Poppi was subject to a “penetrative anal assault”.
She continued: “It is fair to say, all the experts accepted that some event – and I use that word ‘event’ in the broadest possible terms – that some event happened to this child, in life, that resulted in blood oozing from her anus.
“The key protagonist exercised his right under Regulation 22 not to give evidence.
“Given the full inquest was sought on his behalf, it is disappointing he’s chosen to hide behind the veil of Rule 22.”
Leslie Thomas QC, representing Mr Worthington, who is now in hiding, said a conclusion of unlawful killing, or that Poppi died of natural causes, could not be reached on the evidence.
He said the evidence of Dr Armour was “tainted” and “unsafe” and submitted that an open verdict was appropriate – as there is not enough evidence to reach any other conclusion.
Mr Thomas added: “Whilst the whole purpose has been a search for the truth, that search for the truth has been impaired by a number of failings.”
Coroner Mr Roberts adjourned the hearing until noon on January 12, when he will deliver his conclusions.
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