Baby boy died despite young sister's plea for grandmother to wake up
An “angelic” three-week-old baby died after his insomniac grandmother who hadn’t slept in 68 hours fell asleep with him in her arms, an inquest in the UK has heard.
The inquest into 21-day-old George Charnock’s death recorded an open conclusion but the coroner said she could not rule out the possibility of overlay.
Heywood Coroner’s Court heard that despite pleas from George’s five-year-old sister that Eileen Charnock was “sat” on him, the grandmother, who had been drinking, failed to rouse from the sofa.
In a statement read to the inquest, the little girl told police that she had tried to pull her baby brother from under her sleeping grandmother.
She said: “I fell asleep on the couch with grandma and George. Grandma was laying over George. I said: ’Grandma you’re on George’, she said: ’Stop waking me up’.
"I was going to pull him ... but [it] was too hard. Grandma was sat on him.”
The inquest heard that Mrs Charnock, who had suffered from insomnia for a number of years, had fallen asleep whilst winding George on her chest as she babysat for her daughter Emily’s two children.
Mrs Charnock today told the inquest that she was “in her own Hell” after reliving the harrowing details.
She told how she recalled waking up and finding her grandson unresponsive at the bottom of the sofa.
It was not disputed that she had drunk a couple of glasses of wine earlier in the evening whilst at the home they had all shared in Oldham, Greater Manchester.
Mrs Charnock was arrested following the incident on suspicion of causing death to a child by overlaying.
But following a blood sample, toxicology reports proved negative for alcohol. No further action was taken against Mrs Charnock.
Mrs Charnock was said to go without sleep for between 68-72 hours due to shift work before falling and had been referred for assessments by doctor.
She said: “At that point I had 68 hours of no sleep and I fell asleep. Once I go out I go out.
“Nobody woke me up, it was just a reaction. I was lying lengthways.
“I woke up. Then I shot up, I saw George at the bottom lying there, I got hold of George, he wasn’t responding.”
She added that she began CPR on him whilst waiting for the emergency services to take him to the Royal Oldham Hospital shouting: “Please George, please George wake up!”.
She said: “I’m in my own hell. I live that day every day, part of me died that day he died.
“I just went out like a light. I just wish I could turn the clock back.”
The inquest was told that George’s mother Emily returned home the following afternoon after a night out around 1pm to find forensics officers outside her house.
She said: “I saw people in white suits, forensics, coming out (of) my house. I just said: ’Who’s dead who’s dead?’.
“I saw them coming out with bags, I said: ’What’s going on?’. George had died. I have been trying so hard to block it out.”
The inquest heard that she had given birth to George early but that she had problems throughout the pregnancy with alcohol and social services had been involved. It was confirmed that George had been made subject of a child protection plan.
She said of her son: “He was so beautiful, he was so angelic. He was just perfect.”
Home Office pathologist Dr Naomi Carter who performed the post mortem concluded a negative autopsy. She told the inquest that “sofa sharing” was a known factor of sudden unexpected death in children.
Dr Carter said: “The accidental obstruction of the air passages has got to be a real possibility.
“Given the history I think it’s got to be a distinct possibility. I can’t say it must be the cause of death, the cause of death here must be described as unascertained. I emphasise that sharing a sofa with a baby is not a safe thing to do.”
Student health visitor Ashley Chadwick said that Mrs Charnock had said after one visit, “it’s not like it used to be in my day”.
In recording an open conclusion, area coroner for Manchester North Lisa Hashmi said: “In terms of support and health offered to the family I see no failings. Dr Carter noted minor external marks. She said it was possible as opposed to probable that George had suffered an obstruction to his airways.
“She explained sofa sharing was an increased risk that could result in sudden unexpected death.
“It is not possible to say what George died of. There are possible explanations but not probable explanations. I cannot rule out the possibility of inadvertently overlay.
“It’s quite clear that neglect is not made out. The only conclusion open to me on the circumstances of this case is one of an open conclusion. Anything else would be unjust to the family.”
