Star Hobson murder trial: Toddler 'dead on arrival' at hospital

A couple accused of murdering a toddler behaved oddly as A&E medics tried to save the dying child, a nurse has told a court.

Star Hobson suffered a cardiac arrest and died in Airedale General Hospital on 22 September 2020.

Jurors at Bradford Crown Court have heard the 16-month-old suffered a catalogue of injuries before her death.

Her mother Frankie Smith, 20, and Savannah Brockhill, 28, both from Keighley, West Yorkshire, deny murder.

Prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC told the jury Star's mother had been on the phone while emergency medical staff tried to save the toddler.

Giving evidence, staff nurse Joanne Goodman said Star was "dead on arrival" and said Ms Smith had been behaving in an "unusual" way.

She said she did not want to hold her daughter, but kept stroking her face.

The nurse said Ms Brockhill had also been acting oddly, saying she had been aggressive and was shouting loudly and waving her arms around.

She said at one stage a doctor had to be called to calm her down.

Ms Goodman then told the jury that after the toddler had been pronounced dead Ms Brockhill asked her to close the child's eyes and put a nappy on her.

Jurors heard hospital staff were told the accused were in other rooms in the house when they heard "a loud bang" come from the living room on the day of Star's death.

Ms Goodman told the court Ms Smith had said her daughter was playing in there with two other children when she heard the noise.

She also mentioned Star had "vomited everywhere" before paramedics were called to their home on Wesley Place.

In cross-examination, Ms Brockhill's barrister, Katherine Goddard, asked the nurse whether there had been any discussion about the child "sustaining a head injury".

The court heard Ms Smith described as "timid" and how she feared she may have caused her daughter's death by "putting nail varnish on her nails", coupled with a lack of immunisation.

The trial continues.

Follow BBC Yorkshire on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or send video here.