Murder-accused father did not call 999 as baby turned blue, court hears

Lily-Mai's father Darren Hurrell denies her murder

A father accused of murdering his baby daughter has said he did not initially call an ambulance when she was "blue and floppy" because he believed it was "part of her anaemia", a court heard.

Ten-week old Lily-Mai Hurrell Saint George was found to have had 18 rib fractures, a leg fracture and a fatal head injury when she died in 2018.

Prosecutors allege her parents caused the injuries by shaking her.

Darren Hurrell and Lauren Saint George, both 25, deny her murder.

In a reading of a police interview from April 2018, Mr Hurrell, from Alvaston in Derby, said his daughter was intermittently "blue and floppy" in the days before she died.

He told detectives since he and his partner believed this was caused by her anaemia, neither called 999 until she stopped breathing on 31 January.

He added there had been two incidents where Lily-Mai could have been injured in the days before she died, but at the time he had not believed they caused any serious harm.

Wood Green Crown Court heard he said he had been sitting on a bed with his daughter when she "kicked out" and appeared to be falling, so he grabbed her leg, which left a red mark.

"I think I may have grabbed her a bit too hard because obviously I don't know my own strength, so I just stopped her from falling off the bed," he said.

"It was a quick reaction, a quick grab. I didn't think I hurt her."

He said he did not mention it to social workers at the time because "it didn't seem relevant".

Lauren Saint George has chosen not to give any evidence to the court

He also recalled an incident on a bus where Lily-Mai's pram tipped forward suddenly while she was inside, but said again she seemed "fine" afterwards.

When asked whether he thought the bus incident could have caused Lily-Mai's injuries, he said he was unsure but it could have.

Jurors have been told Mr Hurrell was previously cautioned for common assault against Ms Saint George.

In February 2019, Mr Hurrell did not physically assault his partner but caused her to feel "in fear of harm", the court heard.

Ms Saint George, from Enfield, north London, has chosen not to give evidence.

Lily-Mai, who was born prematurely at 31 weeks, had been discharged into her parents' care six days before she died despite the opposition of hospital staff, the court has previously heard.

She was taken to North Middlesex Hospital on 31 January but died two days later after being transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital.

The trial continues.