GUILTY UK - Jordan Burling, 18, Died Weighing Less Than 6 Stone, Body Of Baby Also Found, Leeds, June 2016

[CoverMeCagney]

Thanks for all the reports LB, been out all day so need to catch up.

PS where have all the old smilies gone?!

 

[Legally Bland]

I'm happy to do updates, but may not get them done in a timely manner.

If anyone else wishes to post updates please do so.

10:43KEY EVENT
Day Four of the Cranston and Burling trial is about to start
The jury are in the courtroom now.

Today we will be hearing evidence about the defendant’s arrests and police interviews.


10:47
Experienced sergeant 'shocked' that the body was of a 19-year-old man
A barrister is reading out police sergeant Daniel Holbrook’s statement, which was given on January 29 last year.

Mr Holbrook said that before 12.40pm on Thursday, June 30 2016 he was contacted by a PC who asked for supervision at the Cranston’s house.

When he entered the house, Dawn and Denise Cranston were in the kitchen. He said:


“I saw the deceased, a male I was informed was Jordan Burling.”

“Burling was lying on the floor of the living room on his back on what looked like a mattress.”

He has 17 years of experience as a police officer, but described himself as ‘shocked’ when he seen the body.

He said: “I can only describe him as skin and bones. I had to double check the DOB with PC McNamara.

“He was extremely thin and emancipated.


“You could literally see the bones through the skin.”

He added: “The body I was looking at was not what you would expect of a 19-year-old.”

He asked for the room to be treated as a crime scene.He described Dawn Cranston as ‘somewhat detached’ and thought she may have a mild learning disability.

He said: “I was struck by a lack of any grief, considering her son had passed away.”


10:48
Mum went shopping after boy's death
The same barrister is reading out Gemma Daly’s statement, which was given on August 3 last year.

Ms Daly is based in Elland Road police station as part of the domestic abuse team.

Ms Daly said that she was sent to the Cranston’s house to arrest Dawn Cranston.

She said: “She was in Leeds city centre shopping. I remained at the address.”

She arrested Dawn Cranston when she returned home from shopping.


10:59
'He wouldn't let me help him'
DC Martin Jarvis from the Homicide and Major Enquiries Team is giving evidence now.

He said that on August 3, 2016 Dawn Cranston said: “I’m depressed, I didn’t do anything. He wouldn’t let me do anything. I cared for him. He wouldn’t let me help him.”


When she was asked about the bones found in the bag and whether she would have any link to it, she made no comment.


Photos of the bag and the cupboard where it was found were shown to her and she still made no comment.


A DNA sample was taken from her while she was in custody.


Dawn Cranston was released and re-interviewed on January 17 last year.

She was asked about family life in Butterbowl Garth, her own childhood, her pregnancy with Abigail, her pregnancy with Jordan, who cared for the children, Jordan’s medical problems, why Jordan missed earlier medical appointments and why Jordan’s death were decayed. She made no comment.

The next day, she was interviewed again. She was asked whether the baby was alive when he was born, when that baby was born, what involvement Steven Burling had in Jordan’s life, why Jordan was taken out of school and why she hadn’t called the doctor for Jordan.


She again made no comment.

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

 

[Legally Bland]

11:47
Grandmother said NO ONE is responsible for teen's death
Police officer Kam Nagra is now giving evidence about Denise Cranston’s police interviews.
She’s reading a transcript of Denise Cranston’s interview on August 3, 2016. Here are some of her key quotes:


Are you responsible for the death of Jordan Burling?

No.

Who is?

No one.


Personality

He could be stubborn as a mule, he liked his games, he used to play his games all the time, like I do.
He won’t let me touch that one [his PlayStation], he used to jump around but he used to throw himself all over the place.
He used to sleep on his bunk bed. He used to go on top and jump off and, if stuff happened in the game, he would come off and bang. Idiot. I used to ask why don’t you let me play? He never would.
We always watch Christmas movies together, me and him.
We used to talk about what was on the news, he used to like sport, Chelsea. I’m a big Leeds United fan. Leeds United and Yorkshire Terriers. I had pictures all over the house. He wanted to have a Chelsea one and I said no, you can put them in your room.
I can’t wait to get my hands on that room [Jordan’s bedroom].


Eating habits

I used to buy stuff he wanted, he liked milkshakes, I used to buy gallons of milkshakes.
[He liked to eat] most things. He didn’t particularly like Christmas dinners, we had to give him something else.
I used to get these ready meals for him. He said he wanted them so he could do it himself, put them in the microwave.
He did try making pasta once but I don’t know whether he did it right or not, because he wouldn’t show me.
He loved his sweet stuff and that.
He used to get what he wanted. It was our system in the house, you got up and you got what you wanted.
He used to like spaghetti bolognese and foreign things, like Chinese.
He always had sweets at the side of them because he loved them.

11:51
"They said we were doing alright with him"
More from the transcript of Denise Cranston’s interview with police:


The months before his death

About three months before [his death], he started eating less.
He got a lot thinner and he got bed sores, which we didn’t know about at the beginning.
When he got to 18, he said I’m a man and that was it. We said to him he got a bit thinner but he said ‘oh no’.
He was [thin] like his dad. He was going bald and all, like his dad. His dad went bald when he was 21 I think.
He went to the toilet one day and he says something had gone in his leg. He came back and said ‘I won’t walk again’. We kept telling him to go to the doctor.
He decided one day [not to walk].
I don’t know whether our Dawn were in when that happened. She might have been at work, I don’t know.
He couldn’t walk. We couldn’t get him upstairs so we got him a mattress then we got a blanket to make it softer.
Our Dawn used to turn him every so often, move him.
He seemed to be [soiling himself] for a bit. He knew it had to be cleaned so we cleaned it up. Dawn did most of it, but sometimes it took two of us.
We used to get nappies for him. Big ones. I had to lift his legs up to get the back and our Dawn put it on, but he wouldn’t let us see.
[We would know to change him when] he used to smell.
Denise Cranston also said that Jordan Burling wouldn’t go to a doctor, but ‘we looked after him’. She said that the family used sanitary towels stuck on with tape on the teenager’s bed sores.


Childhood, teenage years and education

We had to home school him because he got bullied a lot there [at Farnley High]. One of them got hold of his head and smashed it into a wall.
He used to get picked on, it was awful. One day they said they were spitting at him and we had to clean his coat. One lass used to pour orange juice over his head and he would come home all sticky.
He wouldn’t stick up for himself.
Our Dawn wrote a letter and we kept him at home. Someone from the council came but she got sick and then someone else came and we were left to our own devices. He had a good brain on him.
They said we were doing alright with him.
[The council worker] checked his work, but he wasn’t a good writer.
He had two or three friends at school, but once he left school they didn’t bother.
He weren’t one of them kids that liked to do that [play outside].
Before he fell ill, he used to love going into town on his own and going to HMV. Used to cost us a fortune.
He seemed up for college. . .but he didn’t know what to go for.

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

 

[Legally Bland]

I'm confused about the homeschooling thing. Can you not just leave at 16 anymore?

 

[Kasmeer]

Pretty sure 18 is the law now, changed a few years back I believe. Doesn't have to be specifically school after 16, but some kind of education or training, as I understand it: School leaving age goes up to 18

Claiming he chose to stop walking is a pretty terrible excuse; even if it's believed they'll still be done for manslaughter, as who on earth lets someone get in a state like that without calling a doctor for goodness sake? Adult or not, that is an obvious case for sectioning... not that I believe it; the "personality" quotes suggest dear grandmother wasn't actually too fond of her grandson anyway, "can't wait to get her hands on that room"? I hope there was some context to make that better than it sounds as an isolated quote, sheesh.

 

[Kasmeer]

Couple more updates, hope I'm not treading on your toes here! (I'm not taking over btw, I can only check in now and again but just helping out while I'm here )

12:35
"We looked after him and that was our duty"
More from the transcript of grandmother Denise Cranston’s interview with police.


Nappies

Denise Cranston said that Jordan Burling would have his nappies changed on the sofa. She and her daughter Dawn Cranston would carry him there and then undress him.
Would you take the nappies off so he was completely naked?Yes.
You mentioned sanitary towels.Yes, we would put them over his sores.
Who dressed him? Me, it was Dawn with my help. I’d lift him. He wouldn’t want me dressing him, he knows I’m more strict than Dawn.
Is it like you’ve got a baby, lift his legs up in the air?I took all the weight of that.
So Dawn would get the nappy underneath him? Yeah.
What position was he in when you were cleaning his bottom? He ended up flat on his back. We tried to put him on his side, but he always ended up on his back. We did all that for him.
Just thinking about that process, talk me through. You take the nappy off and...And I throw it away.
In the bin? Yes, triple packet.
What would you do next? Clean him up.
What did you use to do that? Well she’d clean all that up then see to his things.
What with? I think we used a flannel and then we used salt water because they said that was good.
When you say see to all his things, obviously I don’t know - Bedsores.
Do you feel you had a duty of care towards him? You looked after him? Yes, we looked after him. He said if a doctor came in he would refuse.
So did you feel you had a duty of care towards him? We looked after him and that was our duty.

13:09
Grandmother 'doesn't know' how she feels about Jordan's death
More from the transcript of Denise Cranston’s lengthy interview with police:

Food

I used to go to Morrison’s during the week, like I did today, which is going to ruin. Then we’d top up. There was always food in the house. My next door neighbour said to me the other day I’m always shopping. I said I know, I’m a right donkey.


Teen’s death

[The paramedics] were just walking through [the house] and he stopped breathing.

He wasn’t gasping, he just stopped. It was just like my [89-year-old] father. I was there when he died.


“I don’t know, but with hindsight I thought he was stupid not letting us....you know. He was an idiot.


“He was stubborn. He would not let anyone through that door if he knew you had phoned.”


When asked what she would do differently in hindsight, she said: “I probably would have called a doctor in secret, but he would have refused.”


That concludes Denise Cranston’s first interview on August 3, 2016.

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

 

[dalsglen]

That poor lad. All of those adults need locked up.

 

[Legally Bland]

Thanks for the updates Kasmeer, you're not treading on anyone's toes. Well certainly not mine.

I think it only becomes a problem when there are really fast moving American threads.

Even if we get the odd duplication it's still better than not getting posted at all.

Having to be in education or training etc. untill you're 18 must have totally passed me by.

And yeah, I've no idea how they couldn't call a doctor even if he didn't want them to.

There seems to be a lot of indifference towards Jordan that I don't really understand.

 

[Legally Bland]

A few more updates.

14:27
Teen would 'drink five milkshakes a day'
We have moved onto Denise Cranston’s second interview with police. Here are excerpts of that.

Milkshakes

Tell me a little bit about [the milkshakes].

Well, there’s Frijj. And the Morrisons ones he likes. And about two or three others.
When did he start to like those?

When he was poorly I think.

How many of those would he consume in a 24-hour period?

One to three during the day and one to two during the night.


So five in 24 hours?

Yes, if he woke up he wanted something to drink.


Any particular flavours?

He liked white chocolate. Loads of the new flavours.


How did he drink those?

He held them in his hand or he always liked a straw.


Would the straw be out of a bottle or poured in a glass?

It varied, it was up to him.


14:48
Jordan 'hadn't left the house in months'
More excerpts of Denise Cranston’s second interview with police:

She said she thinks the last time Jordan left the house was January or February - four or five months before his death. She said she did not think he left the house in the three months before his death when he was poorly.


underpants were hurting him, even though the elastic was slack on him.

He couldn’t hold it in. I don’t think [Jordan’s older sister Ms Burling] particularly said anything about it.



What did he think [about being 18 and having his nappy changed by his mother and grandmother]? Did he talk about that at all?

No no.
Did he find it embarrassing?

No, not at all.
Denise Cranston added: “We were like a servant to him. I don’t know if Dawn thought of it like that.”

She said it would take between three quarters of an hour between an hour or two to change Jordan’s nappies.

15:36
"I thought he would maybe get better"
Bed sores
The jury have already heard that Denise Cranston said that Jordan’s bedsores would be dressed with sanitary towels.
Were the wounds dressed everyday?

Yes.
Were they ever left open?

No.
What did you think the ultimate outcome of this would be?

I don’t know, I thought he would maybe get better. I believe that you’ve got to get worse before you get better. He was eating McDonald’s the day before so I don’t know.
Walking frame

Denise Cranston said that a few months before Jordan’s death she suggested he should get a zimmer frame so Dawn Cranston bought him one online for about £7.

 

[Legally Bland]

15:50
Grandmother repeatedly pressed about not making Jordan see a doctor
We have moved onto another one of Denise Cranston’s police interviews.

She said that Jordan sometimes wouldn’t want to be cleaned, but herself and Dawn Cranston would persist and would clean him anyway.

When she was asked why she didn’t apply that same attitude to getting Jordan to a doctor, she repeated that he would say he was ‘a man’ and would not speak to a doctor even if he or she came to the house.

She said that once when Jordan was younger the doctor refused to see him because he was one minute late because of a traffic jam so he remained stubborn about seeing doctors ever since.


16:14
Family became 'noseblind' to Jordan's smell
We are still going through the same police interview.

Personal hygiene

Denise Cranston said that Jordan was ‘slapdash’ at brushing his own teeth and only had his teeth and hair brushed ONCE in the three months before his death.

She said he was at primary school the last time he went to the dentist and she could barely remember when the last time she went to the dentist herself, adding that it was probably it was in the 80s.

She said that Jordan wouldn’t let the family open the window because it was draughty so they became ‘noseblind’ to his smell.


16:30
Family worried Jordan was addicted to anti-diarrhoea tablets
We are still going through the same police interview.

Anti-diarrhoea tablets

Denise Cranston said that she sometimes takes anti-diarrhoea tablets which she buys from Morrisons.

She said that she began to share them with Jordan two or three months before Christmas 2015 and she would buy him one packet, which had six tablets in it, per week.

When she was reminded that Abigail Burling was concerned that Jordan had become addicted to the pills and asked how she felt about that, she replied: “I was concerned about that.”


16:42
The jury have been sent home until tomorrow morning.
That concludes today’s proceedings at Leeds Crown Court. Scroll down for updates from throughout the day.
Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

I really don't understand how Jordan went from an eighteen year old lad to a baby'ish state in such a short amount of time without any underlying medical problems.

 

[Legally Bland]

The jury has arrived in the courtroom and the fifth day of the trial is now underway.

Chloe Fairley, prosecuting, and DC Kam Nagra, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, are going through another one of Denise Cranston’s police interviews. Then we will hear Abigail Burling’s police interview/s.

This afternoon, a pathologist is expected to give evidence.

11:21KEY EVENT
Day five: Jordan looked like 'Jew kept in captivity by the Germans'
Miss Fairley and Ms Nagra have moved onto another one of Denise Cranston’s police interviews.

The court previously heard how Denise Cranston said that Jordan refused to go to the doctor ever since he had missed one appointment.

But during the interview, a police officer reminded Denise Cranston that his last doctor appointment was on October 6, 2010 and he was actually seen by a doctor. The appointment was about his ear aid.


The officer also told her that a housing officer who attended the house in September 2015 had seen a pale lad laying on the sofa and was told by a woman in the house that he was poorly.

She replied: “We were all poorly at one time or other in the house.”


The officer then told Denise Cranston that in November 2015 Dawn Cranston texted a friend that she couldn’t meet up with her because Jordan was really poorly, had lost nearly two stone in weight and wanted her to go to the doctor with him.


The officer also told her that Jordan’s uncle Michael Burling saw him and said he had lost so much weight that he was ‘looking like a Jew kept in captivity by the Germans during the Second World War’.

Denise Cranston replied: “Well he hasn’t looked at his own brother then, has he?

”His own father [Jordan’s] is skin and bones - he’s as thin as a rail.”


11:50
'We looked after him, we cared for him, we loved him'
This police interview is very similar to the previous ones.

Here’s an example:

Well it’s heavily soiled nappies. What kind of smell was in the house?

It wasn’t good, we got noseblind to it.


Was he complaining about being in pain?

No. No, no.


Do you think he had appropriate care?

Yes.
With hindsight, do you think he had appropriate care?

With hindsight, we looked after him, we cared for him, we loved him.


11:51
Radiologist about to give evidence
The jury are now having a break until 12.05pm before a radiologist gives evidence for about 20 minutes.

A radiologist is a medical doctor who specialises in diagnosing and treating disease and injury through the use of medical imaging techniques such as X-rays or other high-energy radiation.

 

[CoverMeCagney]

This is going to be so harrowing for those jurors, they'll hear (and see) it all.

 

[Legally Bland]

This is going to be so harrowing for those jurors, they'll hear (and see) it all.

I've been sitting on the latest updates for a bit now.

I really don't know how to post it.

I think I'll just use spoiler tags and let people make their own mind up whether to read or not.

I'm just glad I had sunglasses on when I was reading this.

It'll probably be an hour or so before I get time to copy stuff over, if anyone else wants to post updates please feel free.

 

[Kasmeer]

Ouch, nasty reading indeed. Spoiler tag may well be the best way to go, as some of that is really painful to read, poor lad. And completely avoidable if they'd bothered to call a doctor, I hope those two get a long long sentence and never allowed to have care of anything again (except each other, they deserve to receive that kind of "care")

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house for those who want to look...

 

[CoverMeCagney]

Has the coroner commented on whether Jordan did indeed eat a cheeseburger and fries the night before he died?

 

[Legally Bland]

Ok, maybe it was slightly longer than an hour.​

Here goes (this is pretty graphic concerning Jordan's health when he was found deceased. It's not easy reading).

Spoiler: Warning: graphic detaii

,
12:44
Radiologist's findings
Dr James Hampton, a consultant radiologist who works for IG Ltd London, is in the witness box now.

On July 1, 2016, Dr Hampton was working in the digital autopsy centre in Sheffield and was sent a whole-body scan of Jordan which had been taken in a hospital in Bradford.

Dr Hampton said: “Interpreting the scans was made more difficult by the lack of body fat.

”Fat on the body is helpful for us as radiologist because it helps separate out all the organs and makes them easier to see.”

Here’s what Dr Hampton said he found:

• There was no bony abnormality related to Jordan’s skull;
• in his chest ‘there was extensive consolidation’, which is filling of the air space in the lungs by liquid, ‘in this case likely to be due to infection’, and there was some gas between the lungs, which is abnormal;
• there was no calcification of the coronary arteries, which, if present, would have been a sign of heart disease;
• in the abdomen a ‘tube’ going from the kidney down to the bladder was enlarged;
• there was thinning of the kidney - which suggested the problem had been going on for a while, rather than all of a sudden;
• several of Jordan’s ribs were broken on both sides at the front, which is often seen in attempted resuscitations;
• there was erosion of the pelvic bones - “not as dense as you would expect a normal person’s bones to be”;
• the ‘likely source of this gas’ around the pelvic bones was Jordan’s bedsores.

12:47
The radiologist's conclusions
Dr Hampton concluded:

• The changes in the lungs were likely to be due to infection and the possibility of tuberculosis, given the changes in the lungs, was raised;
• he couldn’t see a cause for the gas in the chest;
• there was possibly infection in the pelvis bones;
• the gas in the pelvis was likely to have come from the bedsores;
• Jordan had osteophoenia.

12:48
Mum leaves the courtroom
Dawn Cranston has left the courtroom ahead of the pathologist’s evidence.

A pathologist is a scientist who studies the causes and effects of diseases, especially one who examines laboratory samples of body tissue for diagnostic or forensic purposes.

The jury will be shown distressing images and the judge said that Dawn Cranston doesn’t want be here for this part.

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

 

[Legally Bland]

Spoiler: Graphic content

13:05
Pathologist's initial observations
Dr Kirsten Hope, a Home Office pathologist, is in the witness box now and has given her initial observations.

Please note: You may find some of the following content distressing


The jury have been given out copies of a photo of Jordan’s naked body lying on the autopsy table, as well as a photo of his incontinence pad.

Dr Hope said:

• She was aware there was a weakness in his bones and that ostenopenia is something you would usually see in a middle-aged woman;
  
• when she first saw Jordan’s body he was clothed in a blue T-shirt, which was slightly stained at the front, pyjama bottoms and a large and heavily soiled incontinence pad;
  
• the body was generally emaciated and there was muscle wasting. She said there were ‘obvious signs of malnutrition’;
• his weight, as measured in the mortuary, was 37kg or 5st 11 pounds and he was 5ft 5”;
• in his chest you could see the chest wall, ribs and collar bones ‘protruding through the skin’;
• there was no muscle in his thighs
• ‘there may be a natural disease that is affecting the muscle wasting or it can be due to a lack of mobility’;
• there were external haemorrhoids and small lacerations between the anal area and the external genitalia, but the anus itself was undamaged;
• Jordan’s hair was brown, up to 15cm long;
• his skull was ‘diffusely scaly’;
• his eyes were ‘sunken’, which can be due to dehydration,
• he had a sparse moustache and short beard;
• his natural teeth in poor condition in both jaws;
• his toe nails were ‘long and unkempt’.

13:06
Pathologist says one of Jordan's pressure ulcers was down to his bone
Dr Hope continued:

• over the front of the pelvis, there was ‘a full thickness pressure ulcer measuring seven by three centimetres and exposed the pelvic bone’
• over the left hip, there was ‘a full thickness pressure ulcer’ measuring eight by five-and-a-half centimetres

13:06
Court breaks for lunch
The court is breaking for lunch now until 2.05pm. We will resume our live coverage then.


14:18
The hearing resumes
The lunch break is now over and the hearing is resuming.

Dr Hope has returned to the witness box.


14:43
Jordan did not have tuberculosis
Please note: You may find some of the following content distressing
Dr Hope said:

• the lungs were consistent with infection and were tested for tuberculosis, which was excluded;
• the tongue was slightly coated, suggesting dehydration, consistent with the sunken eyes;
• there was light brown fluid in his stomach;
• the rectum was dilated and filled with soft faeces;
  
• the liver had a slightly fatty appearance to the naked eye;
• the left kidney joining the pipe down to the bladder appeared slightly dilated, but there was no evidence of infection;
• the right kidney was normal;
• the bladder was normal;
• the heart was normal;
• a neuropathologist looked at the brain, which was normal, and the spine.

 

[Legally Bland]

Spoiler: Warning: graphic content

content
14:56
Signs of 'extreme malnutrition'
Dr Hope read from a neuropathologist’s report which says:

• “Ulceration has caused the underlying bone to become infected”;
• “The bone marrow is replaced by a gelatinous appearance”;
• “Bone marrow changes such of these are very rare and only seen in cases of extreme malnutrition”
• There was no evidence of moto neuron disease, congenital abnormality, multiple sclerosis, or any neuroinflammatory process affecting the brain
• There was no evidence Jordan was under the influence of drugs or alcohol at the time of his death

She then agreed with these findings.


15:08
'The overall state of Jordan’s body indicates neglect'
Dr Hope has concluded:

• As a result of his malnutrition, his immobility and the infection-riddled sores, Jordan had acute bronchopneumonia;
• there was ‘chronic severe malnutrition’, which ‘had been going on for a long period of time’;
• “the overall state of Jordan’s body indicates neglect”;
• “I can’t find any [medical] reason for his extreme emication”.

This diagnosis is something we heard during the trial’s opening last week, but Dr Hope is explaining it to the jury.

She said that acute bronchopneumonia happens when a person is debilitated or they are unwell and, if they have infected pressure areas on the body, it almost becomes a ‘vicious circle’.

She said that the pressure sores don’t necessarily cause death, but one way to avoid that is to seek medical treatment, which can be in a hospital setting.

15:23
Remains of baby examined
Please note: You may find some of the following content distressing
Dr Hope has read other experts’ reports on the baby’s remains.
The reports said:

• It was between 38 and 40 weeks gestation, which means it is a full-term baby
• It was not possible to make any assessment of sex of the remains
• There was no way to say whether the baby was born alive or dead
• There was no way to give any estimation of how much time had passed since the baby’s death
• There were a few bones that were absent, including right hand and ribs, but that might have been due to congenital abnormality
• Some teeth were found
• There was some ‘disruption’ of the right collar bone, but these bones were very moist and soft and that had most likely occurred after death

But the prosecutor has previously told the jury that the baby was a boy.

 

[Legally Bland]

I think these should be ok without spoiler tags.

Abigail Burling’s police interview up next
We’re now having a 10-minute break before moving onto Abigail Burling’s police interviews, which should take up the rest of the day and some of tomorrow morning.

15:38
Burling appeared to have a seizure when she was arrested
Chloe Fairley, prosecuting, has read out a statement from a police officer who arrested Abigail Burling.

The officer said:

• They found her asleep on the bottom bunk of a bunk bed beside a child;
  
• she collapsed backwards onto the bunk, on top of the child, who started crying;
  
• it appeared she was having some kind of seizure and she came round after about 10 seconds;
  
• she said she suffers anxiety attacks;
  
• they put a pillow under her head and got her a glass of water;
  
• she changed the child’s nappy before being taken to Elland Road Police Station.

15:59
Abigail Burling said she had no duty of care to her younger brother
Miss Fairley and a DC Ian Broadbent, of the Homicide and Major Enquiry Team, are now going through Abigail Burling’s first police interview.

Here are excerpts of that.

Are you responsible for the death of your brother?

No, it were all natural. Unfortunately, I had to take the call from the coroner’s. It was something that ruptured inside of him, I didn’t get the full name before the rupture.
Do you believe you had a duty of care . . ?

No, no. It was mainly my mum and my grandma.

16:02
Abigail Burling describes younger brother as 'very independent'
During the police interview, she went on to say:

In the last week before his death, he got really stubborn. He wouldn’t say anything to anyone.

He was a legend. Typical brother. Annoying sometimes, but you would expect that between brother and sister.

We didn’t argue. . .We were brought up with manners ...I took him to his first festival. . . I got to take him to WWE Live at Leeds Arena [in April 2015]. . .He loved that day.

He was a typical 18-year-old guy. He was very independent. . .He was very cheeky.

16:09
'He was fit and all into his health'
Abigail Burling also told police that her brother was a ‘clean freak’, who was ‘fit’ and keen on weightlifting.

During the interview, she said:

He was walking before, but with the bedsore on one of his legs he had sort of a limp, but the cream was healing it. . .He was healthy and fit, but he was a clean freak.

As soon as he hit 18, he started to grow. He started to take after my dad’s side of the family.He was almost taller than me, which I never thought would happen.

He was starting to get a beard, facial hair. He was like ‘as soon as I become a man I’ve got to get this growing’.

He was a typical gamer. It was like three times a week he’d go to the town if the weather was good. He didn’t like going if it was raining. For an hour or two then he’d come back.

The last time I was in (and) he was out was about a year ago. Something like that. I don’t know whether he’s been out since.

I tend to stay in my own bubble with my daughter.

I only nip up to see how everyone is. I don’t live there, but he was fit and all into his health stuff.

He was getting into doing his muscles with weights and all that.

My mum has a set of weights so he could do it in a room or in a garden.He was very into getting showers.

Sometimes my mum would say ‘it’s 5am in the morning, you don’t have to get a shower straight away’.He was a clean freak. Bless him.

16:17
Abigail Burling says her brother could 'eat for England'
Earlier today, the court heard from medical experts who said that Jordan Burling was emaciated and there were signs of ‘extreme malnutrition’.
But during her interview with police, his sister said that he could ‘eat for England’ and she brought him fast food the night before he died.

When she was being interviewed by police, she said:

He was pretty obsessed with cheeseburgers.The night before he passed away I got him a McDonald’s because he asked.

He had fries with a double cheeseburger. Jordan’s like me he could eat for England.

She also described him as ‘fit as a fiddle’ and said that the day before he died he was playing football with her daughter outside.

16:25
'He was a mummy’s boy'
Jordan’s older sister went on to tell police:

“It’s just mad. I still can’t believe he’s gone to be honest. He was a mummy’s boy. I think that kind of showed at high school because he wanted to be there, but he didn’t, sort of thing.

“He was upset about [being bullied] but also getting bullied was something new to him. We liked everything to a routine.I said why don’t you go to the teacher, speak up? But when he did the teacher said ‘oh no, no, it’s fine’.

All my mates were friends with him. It was mostly through my Facebook that he talked to friends.

He was looking for a place in college but he couldn’t get one because there was none. Leeds City College and all the ones in Leeds.”

She also said that her mum Dawn Cranston ordered food from Asda online once a fortnight and her grandmother Denise Cranston would shop in Morrisons.
The judge has stopped the evidence there for the day, but this same interview will continue tomorrow morning.

Family on trial after dead teen and baby found in Leeds house

 

[jiminy]

I'm not caught up but already I'm ranting. There was mention of one of the women being concerned about the money they'd spent on a walking aid for Jordan being wasted when he died. Callous enough but now I read it cost a princely £7.

(I'm going to have a headache by the time I get to the spoilered posts, aren't I?)