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

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.35pm Arrest

Prosecutor Guy Gozem QC suggested Ashurst should have given his full explanation to officers when arrested. She asks the jury if he was given the opportunity to do this. He said: "I don't understand" and was asked if he had any property, before police started searching him. He later cried.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.35pm Mental health

Ms Grahame asks the jury how it would look if their medical history was trawled through and scrutinised. She says Ashurst had history of anxiety and depression over many years and was being open when he sought help. She tells the jury to consider how that helps them decide if he suddenly abused his child. "I suggest to you it doesn't," she says.

She says no-one raised concerns about Ashurst's care for Hollie. He was the only person who raised a concern, which was about caring for her when Leanne returned to work, when he was being "open and honest" with a medical professional.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.40pm Medical history

Hollie had a medical history with her cleft lip and palate and had "repeated and extensive contact" with her parents and medical professionals. There were no concerns, Ms Grahame says.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.40pm Alcohol

Ashurst admitted drinking at home the night before Hollie was injured, but a test after his arrest did not find any trace of alcohol.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.40pm Finances

Ashurst and Leanne argued about money and domestic issues, but Ms Grahame says there is no evidence they had money worries. She says the jury might not approve of his financial situation, with money from his mum, his uncle, benefits and perhaps exaggerating his mental health status to get extra benefits, but that doesn't mean he is a killer.

He also admitted taking cocaine at home the night before Hollie was injured.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.45pm Criminal convictions

Ashurst's only previous convictions were for two driving matters from a single incident in 2006 when he pleaded guilty to failing to report an accident and another driving matter.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

On the morning of February 28, Ashurst was fine driving Leanne to work and during his visit to Asda. Ms Grahame describes it as "perfectly normal behaviour, loving behaviour with his daughter". He was friendly with people he saw in Asda.

It was suggested he had cocaine before going to see Sarah Jolley about the diet plan. She said he seemed "tense". Ms Grahame says she hardly knew him.

It was also suggested he didn't have a good night's sleep and had a row with Leanne. Ms Grahame says the text messages between them show how unimportant that was.

No-one at the GP surgery and the hospitals suggested that Ashurst could have taken drugs.

Ms Grahame says Ashurst "wasn't a very competent liar" at the police station, saying he did take cocaine and then changing his mind after realising what he said.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.55pm

Ms Grahame says Ashurst was "not an angel", taking cocaine and exaggerating for benefits, but that does not mean he was a killer. She says the drinking, cocaine use and mental health problems were not new. "There was no reason at all for this man to have exploded into extreme violence with Hollie on February 28."

She says Hollie was a "happy child".

Ms Grahame suggests the evidence will leave the jury "far from sure" that Ashurst killed Hollie.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

12.55pm Lunch

That's the end of Ms Grahame's speech. The jury is now being sent out for lunch and will return at 2pm.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.05pm Case resumes

Mr Justice Dove and the jury are back in court. He will sum up the case for them.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.05pm Hollie

He says Hollie was born on December 24, 2017. She had a cleft lip and palate and had two operations to repair them, which were successful. Health visitors went to the home and were satisfied with her progress. There were no significant health or safeguarding concerns.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.05pm Ashurst's mental health

Mr Justice Dove says Ashurst had mental health issues and was treated. He refers to a mental health worker who saw him on January 19 and February 27 last year. At the January appointment, Ashurst said his partner Leanne was on maternity leave and if she went back to work, he would struggle to cope with Hollie. They also spoke about his medication and other issues like alcohol use during the appointments.

It was noted his face "lit up with happiness" when he spoke about his daughter during an appointment not long after she was born.

At the February 27 appointment, there was nothing in the notes to say there were any safeguarding concerns.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.15pm February 27

Laura Storey went to Ashurst's home on February 27 to have her nails done by Leanne and her three-year-old son played with Hollie. She could see by the way Ashurst held Hollie that he adored her.

A photograph of Hollie was taken that evening at bath time.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.15pm February 28

Ashurst drove Leanne to work, before going to Asda with Hollie. He had 12 photographs of her taken at the Max Spielmann concession and had breakfast there. Then he went home.

Ashurst left to go to see Sarah Jolley about a diet plan. He arrived at about 11.30am. She said he wasn't acting how he would normally, something was bothering him. He asked about swapping things on the diet sheet and stayed for about five minutes. She couldn't say for definite whether Hollie was in the back seat, though in the witness statement she said she could.

Ashurst went home. At 1.34pm he arrived at Standish Medical Centre and carried Hollie in. A receptionist said Ashurst shouted that he needed to see a doctor. She saw a "lifeless" child in his arms. She got a doctor and ambulance was called.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.20pm At GP surgery

Dr Joanne Hall, a GP at the surgery, said she heard a receptionist say there was a baby not breathing. He saw a man with a baby in his arms who was "floppy". She was told the baby had fallen down the stairs and cried afterwards. Dr Hall said she thought the baby had "gone".

CPR was carried out and rescue breaths to try to revive Hollie. Staff got a defibrillator.

Hollie was taken to Wigan Infirmary by paramedics.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.30pm Paramedics

Paramedic Adam Noble and a colleague were called to Standish Medical Centre for a child in cardiac arrest. They took in a defib and other equipment. Ashurst was there. He said Hollie had fallen down two steps and banged her head. She cried straight away and had been hysterical. He was driving and she was unresponsive in the car seat, so he decided to go to the medical centre.

Paramedics were there for 10 minutes and took Hollie to hospital. Ashurst sat in the front of the ambulance. When they got to the hospital, Mr Noble tried to get a history from Ashurst.

Another paramedic says she Googled a phone number for Leanne so Ashurst could tell her what happened. She also spoke to him about what had happened to Hollie and said he wasn't "very descriptive". She said he gave "a similar but different story" each time.

Another paramedic Michael Tomlinson asked Ashurst what had happened. He said Hollie had fallen down two stairs and cried immediately, then crawled back up. He put her in the car but she became more poorly, so he went to the surgery.

A fourth paramedic said he didn't speak to Ashurst at the surgery as his attention was on Hollie. He then approached him but it was difficult to get a history. Ashurst said she had fallen down steps on carpet.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.40pm Wigan Infirmary

Hollie was taken to Wigan Infirmary. Sarah Hough said she wasn't breathing. Her heart rate came back but blood pressure was low. She examined Hollie and found a small cut or laceration on the right frontal legion of her head. She saw a greenish discharge around her eyes and nose. There was minimal response when she examined her pupils.

Ashurst told her Hollie had fallen down two steps. He said he didn't see her fall.

Another doctor alerted her to bruises on Hollie's face. They re-examined her for further bruising and more was found on her face and side.

Hollie's parents were told she had a bleed on the brain and had to be transferred to Royal Manchester Children's Hospital.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.45pm Police

PC Carl Smith took Ashurst and Leanne Thompson to Manchester and stayed with them. He had a body-worn camera. He was also there when Ashurst was later arrested. Ashurst made no comment when interviewed by the police.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

2.50pm

Dr Dixon told the court about a report she did into Hollie's death. She spoke about her presentation at the hospital and things said by her mother Leanne.

Hollie was intubated and ventilated on the intensive care unit. She had multiple visible injuries.

A body map was made of Hollie's injuries. Mr Justice Dove goes through the injuries. Some were noted to have possibly come from resuscitation attempts and medical intervention. Others were thought to be either accidental or inflicted. "Fingertip bruising" on her chest was thought to be inflicted and not from resuscitation. A mark on Hollie's thigh had an appearance characteristic of "imprint bite injury".

Dr Dixon's conclusion was that Hollie's injuries indicate she had inflicted head trauma by means of shaking or impact.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages

 

[HayLouise]

Day 10:

3.05pm Hollie's eyes

An ophthalmologist at Manchester Eye Hospital said Hollie had many haemorrhages in her eyes. Her injuries were highly suggestive of severe neuro trauma, severe head injury or crush injury involving the head.

Baby Hollie Ashurst murder trial: LIVE updates as proceedings reach final stages