Former nursery worker denies murdering baby son

A former children's nursery worker is on trial at Luton Crown Court accused of murdering her baby son

A former nursery worker has gone on trial accused of murder after her baby son suffered "catastrophic" injuries and died.

Eight-month-old Devaun Rose-Turner died on 11 December 2021 at his home in Blunham Road, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire.

Devaun's parents, Shandies Rose, 28, and Emmanuel Turner, 33, have both denied murder, causing or allowing the death of a child and causing or allowing serious injury to a child.

Prosecutor Mark Heywood KC told the pair's trial at Luton Crown Court that Miss Rose had been "employed in the care of children", had a degree in early childhood studies from London Metropolitan University and had taken a paediatric first aid course.

When summarising the prosecution case to jurors earlier, Mr Heywood said Devaun and his mother and father lived in a flat.

Mr Heywood said an emergency call was made early in the morning on 11 December 2021 and Devaun's father told paramedics that the little boy had stopped breathing.

Mr Heywood said Devaun had suffered "extensive, catastrophic injures" and could not be saved.

Jurors were told that the Devaun had "multiple broken bones" and a "severe stomach rupture".

Miss Ross had worked at a children's nursery in London, but was not working when Devaun died, and Mr Turner, a sub-contractor for the HM Passport Office, had been off work because of Covid, the court heard.

Devaun lived with his parents in a flat in Blunham Road, Biggleswade, jurors heard

"[Devaun] died as a result of complications to serious injuries that he had suffered in the latter stages of his short life," Mr Heywood told the trial.

"Many of the injuries had been inflicted in the last 12 or so hours," he added.

Mr Heywood said there were also signs that other injuries had been inflicted earlier.

The prosecution barrister told the jury that neighbours had heard noises in the night.

One heard a "loud thud", another a loud argument and Miss Rose "screaming", and another neighbour said they heard "banging" and a "baby crying", he told the court.

Mr Heywood added: "There is a picture of some significant event happening in the hours of darkness."

He added no parent of a child of that age could have "failed to know" about the type of injuries Devaun suffered.

Mr Heywood said Miss Rose and Mr Turner had inflicted, encouraged or assisted in the infliction of injuries.

Both Miss Rose and Mr Turner, who sat near each other in the dock, have entered not guilty pleas to three charges.

An order imposed at an earlier stage of proceedings had prevented Devaun from being named in media reports, but trial judge Mrs Justice Farbey has since lifted that order.

The trial continues.