Trial Continues For Toddler Who Died During First Day At Nursery: Will Nursery Worker Be Convicted of Manslaughter??

On Wednesday, Jan. 15, the Leeds Crown Court heard the details behind the tragic death of three-year-old Lydia Bishop. On September 17, 2012, the toddler died just five hours after being dropped off by her parents for her first day at the York College Day Nursery.

The Daily Mail reports that the child became entangled in a rope at the top of a slide on the nursery’s playground. The rope got wrapped around the child’s neck, fatally choking her as she slid down.

No children were to be allowed in the play area, but Bishop was left unsupervised by a staff member for more than 20 minutes when the accident happened.

By the time Bishop was discovered by a staff member, she was ‘blue and not breathing’. Relentless efforts to revive the child were unsuccessful.

It was also reported that Sophee Redhead, 25, was one of the staff members assigned to supervise Bishop. It was also alleged that Redhead actually saw the child approaching the slide.

However, she did nothing to avert the child’s attempts to get on the slide. Redhead’s statement in reference to the child’s fatal accident was read aloud to the court during the trial.

She stated that she did she the toddler playing in the sandpit before walking in the direction where the slide was. She also said that another staff worker came to inform her that Bishop had not come for her snack.

“I started walking towards the slide,” her statement read. “I called for Lydia to come and get her snack. I could see something on the slide, but didn’t realize what it was. I could see something white, but didn’t realize it was a pair of trousers. As I got a little bit closer I could see it was Lydia on the slide. I could see her willies and knew something was wrong. Her head was about six inches from the top of the slide. As I got to the slide I could see that a loop of rope was round her neck.”

The rope was said to have been put in place as a safety measure to prohibit access to the slide. But, risk assessments cited the rope as a potential danger for strangulation.

Redhead, who was ultimately charged with manslaughter by gross negligence, denies the allegations. York College also denies failure to ensure the safety of children at the nursery.

However, Prosecutor Robert Smith, QC made an assertion to prove otherwise. According to York Press, the surveillance camera, which was positioned behind the slide, captured ‘slight movement’. Then, Bishop never appeared again.

“At that point, Sophee Redhead ran in panic to the slide and found Lydia on the slide with the rope coiled round her neck. She was carried into the nursery. She was not breathing and she was blue,” Smith explained.

The trial continues. Do you think Sophee Redhead should be convicted of manslaughter by gross negligence for the death of Lydia Bishop?