The grandmother of a two-year-old girl who was allegedly murdered expressed shock upon discovering a bruise on the child's back days before her death, a court has heard. Isabelle Welsh died after collapsing at her home in the North East, having sustained what prosecutors describe as a "massive head injury".
Grandmother's testimony
Jurors at Teesside Crown Court were shown a police interview in which the maternal grandmother, Claire Walker, described her reaction to the bruise. She told detectives she asked "what the hell" when she saw the mark on Isabelle's back. The grandmother had visited the toddler and her mother, Alexandra Walker, 25, after Isabelle was discharged from hospital for treatment on a broken leg, which occurred 11 days before the fatal injury.
Claire Walker said her daughter explained that Isabelle had bumped her head on a settee. The grandmother also believed the child may have picked up a virus during her hospital stay, which could account for her unwell appearance.
Defendants and charges
Alexandra Walker, 25, and her boyfriend, Harrison Simpson, 22, both deny charges of murder, allowing the death of a child, sexual assault, and child cruelty. The trial continues at Teesside Crown Court.
In court, Claire Walker gave evidence from behind a screen. She told Mark McKone KC, representing her daughter, that she had never met Simpson, who had been dating Walker for several months. Walker had explained that Simpson "had anxiety and didn't want to meet with me," the grandmother said.
The grandmother also stated that her daughter had previously been a victim of domestic abuse, which led her to install CCTV cameras in her home. She said she never saw her daughter hit Isabelle and described the toddler as "always immaculately dressed" and the house as always clean. When asked by Mr McKone if her daughter loved Isabelle, Claire Walker replied: "I think she did."
Stepfather's account
Daniel Ackroyd, Isabelle's stepfather, told police he received a panicked phone call from Walker after the child collapsed. He rushed to the home in Hartington Close, Thornaby, Teesside, and performed first aid until paramedics arrived. In court, Mr McKone asked: "Do you agree Alex worshipped Isabelle?" Mr Ackroyd responded: "I do agree with that." He described Walker as "visibly shaking" upon his arrival and said she was "very distressed."
The trial is ongoing.
