GUILTY UK - Hollie Ashurst, 14 months, murdered, Wigan, 3 Jan 2019 *father arrested*

[HayLouise]

Day two:

2.15pm Judge and jury return

Ms Grahame says she doesn't have any further questions for Dr Wilson. He leaves the witness stand.

Prosecutor Guy Gozem QC says there will not be any more witnesses this afternoon. Instead, he's leading the jury through the contents of a folder of information they have.

He's going through medical records. In December 2017 Daniel Ashurst was on the maximum dose of medication for anxiety and depression and reported wishing he was dead. Hollie was born that Christmas Eve. He reported having no suicidal thoughts two weeks later.

There are records about both Ashurst and Hollie. He talked about putting her in her own room at eight weeks old. The health visitor explained why it was not recommended, but he said he did it with his older daughter. Hollie was admitted to Wigan Infirmary in March 2018 for vomiting and then in April had an operation to repair her lip. In July she had the second stage of the cleft palate repair.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day two:

2.30pm Medical reports

In October 2018 Ashurst reported thoughts of wanting to "end it all" and was drinking for his anxiety. He had a telephone triage appointment and said he would self-refer to Addaction and Think Wellbeing for support.

At a later appointment, Ashurst said he had contacted Addaction and was waiting for an appointment. He had physical symptoms of anxiety and his medication had been increased in the past few weeks. He had reduced his alcohol intake with support from his partner Leanne Thompson. They didn't think Ashurst would be able to manage Hollie if Leanne went back to work, the court hears.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day two:

2.40pm Messages

Mr Gozem is now reading messages between Ashurst and Leanne Thompson. They include discussions about money. In one message, she suggests they get separate bank accounts. She says in a message he spent £150 on drugs. In another message, he's not happy about her lending money to people.

There are also messages about money between Ashurst and someone called Craig Forshaw. He wants money from Leanne but she says it's for a wedding.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day two:

2.45pm Mental health appointment

Ashurst went to Clare House on February 27 for a mental health appointment. He said his medication had been changed by his GP in the last two weeks. He reported having reduced his alcohol intake.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day two:

2.50pm February 28

After going through medical records and phone records, Mr Gozem has now got to February 28, the day Hollie was taken to hospital. Ashurst took his partner Leanne to work and then went to Asda with Hollie. There's an image of them at a photographic stand there.

Ashurst and Leanne sent text messages during the morning. They said they loved each other and she wanted to stop arguing. He talked about his tablets not helping.

He went home at 10.45am and told Leanne shortly afterwards that Hollie was in bed watching TV with her dummy.

There were more messages and they spoke on the phone for a minute at 12.08pm. In further messages, Leanne said she might not have been able to sleep the night before even if they had been in the same bed because he had been shouting in his sleep. The court heard yesterday they'd slept in separate rooms after an argument.

There are more messages about money and he asks what she wants for tea.

The jury hears Ashurst's car was seen leaving the estate and pulled up outside Standish Medical Practice at 1.34pm. He carried Hollie in his arms into the centre.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day two:

3.05pm Arrest

Ashurst was arrested on suspicion of inflicting injury at 9.42pm on February 28.

The decision to remove Hollie's life support was made at 4.36pm on March 1 and she died. Twenty minutes later, Ashurst was arrested on suspicion of murder. He said: "That's awful, what has Leanne said."

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: live updates from the second day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Thanks @HayLouise, grim reading though

Heartbreaking!

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

10:45am First witness

Dr Joanne Hall, a GP at Standish Medical Practice, is the first witness of the day to be called by prosecutor Mr Gozem QC.

She tells the court she has worked as a GP since 1989, and as a doctor since 1985.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

10:50am "Her lips were cold"

Dr Hall says she was working in the back office at Standish Medical Practice around 1.30pm on February 28, when a receptionist ran through to tell her a baby was in reception and was not breathing, and she went to investigate.

“I saw a man walking towards me holding a baby," Dr Hall says.

“The baby was floppy, lying back in the arms of the man and was not making any movements."

Dr Hall quickly brought them through to a medical room and placed Hollie on the couch, and immediately began attempts to revive Hollie.

“I asked him what had happened to try n assess why the baby wasn't breathing. he said she'd fallen down some stairs”.

“I'd assessed that this was a serious situation, he put her on a couch, I immediately checked for any signs of life, any response. There were none.”"

Dr Hall said she began mouth-to-mouth and CPR on Hollie and said "her lips were cold."

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:00am CCTV

Defending, Miss Grahame QC is now showing the jury CCTV footage of Ashurst's car arriving at Standish Medical Practice on February 28. The time stamp on the footage is 1.44pm. The footage shows Ashurst pulling up outside the surgery and running inside with Hollie in his arms.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:08am "I think she's gone"

Dr Hall is now explaining how the CPR and mouth-to-mouth process she performed.

The court has also heard a statement from Lisa Bentham, deputy practice manager at Standish Medical Practice, who called 999. While waiting for the paramedics to arrive, she says Ashurst was walking up and down the corridor.

“It looked as though he did not know what to do with himself”.

Dr Hall recalls telling Ashurst words to the effect of "I think she's gone" and "She's not responding." She heard Ashurst say "is this bad?"

Paramedics quickly arrived and continued the resuscitation attempts while taking Hollie to the ambulance.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:25am "He was quite panicky"

Elaine Pete, a nurse at the practice, assisted with the resuscitation attempts until ambulance arrived. The room was small and became quite congested, so the paramedics asked some people to leave. Mrs Pete took Ashurst outside and stayed with him.

Mrs Pete tells the court: “He seemed to be quite panicky, pacing up and down, and saying 'is this bad? Is it going to be bad?'"

She tried to offer him some reassurance, before explaining that they needed to contact Hollie's mum immediately and tell her to go straight to Wigan Infirmary.

Ashurst did not have a phone with him, so they used hers. She took over the phone call when she realised he was struggling to explain the situation, but the female on the phone was not Hollie's mum, Leanne. She did not know who the woman was.

Mrs Pete later told the police that Ashurst seemed to "be in a daze."

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:35am "We were all upset"

Mrs Pete says that after the ambulance left with Hollie and her dad on board, she went back inside the surgery to Dr Hall and other staff who had witnessed the incident.

"We were all upset, we hugged each other and cried," she says.

Mrs Pete has been released from the witness box. Elizabeth Ashcroft, a healthcare asistant at Standish Medical Practice, is the next witness to be examined by Mr Gozem QC.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:40am

Mrs Ashcroft, who was also in the small medical room where Hollie was being treated in, also heard Ashurst say that Hollie had fallen down some stairs.

"Just one or two," Ashurst told the paramedics, Mrs Ashcroft says.

She tells Mr Gozem QC that she too heard Ashurst say he had been on his way to the hospital with Hollie but diverted to the surgery when she stopped breathing en route.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

11:55am "There was blood coming from her nostrils"

Adam Noble, the first paramedic to response to the 999 call, said that he spoke to Ashurst at the scene.

He asked him what had happened, and again Ashurst said Hollie had fallen down two steps and banged her head.

Mr Noble examined Hollie's airways and found she was not breathing. Her heart was not beating either.

He saw blood coming from her nostrils, and slight purple bruising to the bridge of her nose. There was also swelling to left side of her cheek.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

12:06pm "It was chaotic"

Mr Noble and his colleague took Hollie and her dad in the ambulance to Wigan Infirmary, and mum Leanne arrived shortly afterwards. They waited at the scene to see if they could find out whether Hollie would be okay.

“Whilst at the hospital it was chaotic. There were lots of staff asking questions of others.There was lot going on," Mr Noble told the police.

Mr Noble has been released from the witness box. The jury are now taking a short break, and the trial will resume at 12.25pm.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

12:30pm Jury returns

The jurors are back in their seats after a short break. They will now hear further evidence from am EMT (Emergency Medical Technician) called Petra Pleace, who attended with paramedic Mr Noble at Standish Medical Practice on the day Hollie was brought in, February 28.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

12:50pm "His story was different every time"

Ms Pleace drove the ambulance to Wigan Infirmary with Ashurst in the front seat. At the hospital, he was asked by many medical staff what had happened to Hollie. Ms Pleace says she noticed his story seemed to change slightly every time he told someone new.

She tells Mr Gozem QC: “I remember lots of different grades of staff asking.”

“I remember him (Ashurst) not being very descriptive. Dad was not able to clearly describe what happened to Hollie. I remember thinking this story is quite different each time. It's a similar story, but different each time.

There were about 20 people in the resuscitation room at this time, it was absolutely fraught. Each time he was asked, it was slightly different. We couldn't get a clear picture.”

She says Ashurst said Hollie was crawling when she fell, but then he leaned forward and demonstrated someone falling from a standing position.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

12:55pm "He's very muddled"

Defending, Ms Grahame QC is showing the court body worn footage from PC Smith from Wigan Infirmary. The footage shows Ashurst standing, wearing a black t-shirt and shorts, while several medical staff attend to Hollie behind a curtain. Ms Pleace and Mr Noble are standing nearby to him.

Ms Pleace steps away from Ashurst to speak to PC Smith, to inform him of the situation.

She tells him: "He's very muddled. He's jabbering and jibbering.

"He's not quite there."

She adds: “He's saying she was on the landing then not on the landing."

“I genuinely think he’s in shock.”

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings

 

[HayLouise]

Day three:

2.06pm Trial resumes

Everyone has returned to the courtroom for the afternoon's proceedings. Ashurst is back in the dock and is sitting directly opposite the judge. The jury are also back in their seats as Mr Gozem QC calls the next witness, Michael Tomlinson, one of the paramedics who attended at Standish Medical Practice on February 28, the day Hollie was brought in by Ashurst. Hollie would die the next day in hospital.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates from the third day of proceedings