Plymouth Social Services Not To Blame For Baby Death

Social Services in Plymouth were not to blame for the death of baby Perrin Barlow five years ago, a coroner said today. Perrin died of natural causes to which neglect contributed, Nigel Meadows the coroner said.

He said that neglect was the failure of Perrin’s mother Stephanie Horrocks and her partner Mark McAndrew to provide adequate and timely care.

“Neglect does not reflect on the involvement of social services, health visitors, medical or other professionals working in the background.”

Perrin was pronounced dead shortly after being brought by ambulance to A&E at Derriford Hospital on July 16, 2002.

A post mortem examination showed that he died of bronchopneumonia aggravated by dehydration. On the day of his death his drug addict mother and her partner had been urged by friends to take Perrin to a doctor because he looked so ill. They failed to do so.

Horrocks and McAndrew were jailed for cruelty in 2003. His mother, a drug addict, died in prison.

The inquest heard that Perrin and his two older sisters were all on the city’s ‘at risk’ regsiter at the time of his death and Perrin had been visited 47 times in one 50-day period.

Evidence from a senior pathologist presented today recorded that Perrin showed signs of not being cared for, with dirt ingrained under his fingernails and in his armpits and with a severe case of nappy rash, but that there were no signs of internal injury.