Penwortham baby death mum recalls 'biggest mistake'

5:42pm Thursday 26th June 2008

A Penwortham mother told a court the decision to leave her baby son in the care of the nanny accused of causing his death was the “biggest mistake” she ever made.

Lisa Rowlinson was giving evidence in the trial of maternity nurse Linda Wise who is accused of the manslaughter of her baby son Isaac.

The prosecution say Wise, 47, “shook” Isaac while his parents, who are both police officers with Lancashire Constabulary, were on an overnight visit to the Lake District in September 2006.

Liverpool Crown Court has heard the shaking incident, when Isaac was 13-weeks-old, caused him brain damage which eventually led to a fatal epileptic fit.

The jury has also been told that 10 days before Isaac suffered the brain injury, he had been hospitalised.

He became ill while his parents were out of the house and the prosecution says this incident was a “precursor” to the more serious assault.

Wise, of Gaerwen, Anglesey, North Wales, says she never harmed Isaac and denies manslaughter.

Graham Wood QC, defending, put it to Mrs Rowlinson that she was keen to take her husband, Paul, a Detective Inspector based in Preston who used to serve in Blackburn and Great Harwood, on the trip to the Lake District.

Mrs Rowlinson, 38, a detective constable based in Chorley, denied this and said Wise had encouraged them to stay at the Gilpin Lodge Hotel, Windermere, where the nanny’s sister was employed.

She said: “At no point did I ever say I wanted time away from my children.

”Linda suggested we go and that was the biggest mistake I ever made.”

(proceeding)