Genevieve Meehan: Family pays tribute to 'beautiful' baby girl as nursery worker convicted of manslaughter

The family of a baby girl who died after being strapped to a bean bag, head down, at a Stockport nursery has paid tribute to their ‘beautiful’, ‘kind’ and ‘mischievous’ daughter. Nursery worker Kate Roughley, 37, was found guilty of manslaughter after nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan, who was tightly swaddled and covered with a blanket, died at Tiny Toes nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport.

Roughley discovered Genevieve’s unresponsive body on the afternoon of May 9, 2022. Despite efforts from colleagues and paramedics to revive her, Genevieve was pronounced dead later that day in the hospital.

On Monday, a jury of six men and six women at Manchester Crown Court unanimously convicted Roughley, from Heaton Norris, Stockport, of manslaughter. She was remanded in custody, awaiting sentencing on Wednesday afternoon.

Paying tribute to Genevieve, her family said her death has “destroyed our family” as they are still coming to terms with their loss, two years on. Her family said: “It has been just over two years since our beautiful and wonderful daughter’s life was taken from her. Genevieve’s loss has destroyed our family. We grieve for her every day. We long desperately to see her smile, hear her laugh and feel her warm embrace. Her absence is a physical and emotional wound that will never heal.

"Genevieve wasn’t just a baby, she was a person. She loved to laugh, to play with her tambourine, to eat Spaghetti Bolognese and to be with her big sister. She was kind, affectionate, independent and mischievous. She was fascinated with the world and everything in it. She embraced every day. She loved life and we loved her instantly.

"We were amazed every day watching her grow and develop. She was such a strong person, bright and talented. To be in her presence was such joy.  We will never accept the cruelty of her life being taken away. That we will not get to hear her speak her first words or watch her grow up is impossible to comprehend. Genevieve could have done anything she wanted to. She had her whole life to live and was loved so dearly by her family.”

Her family said they were “so desperate” for her to be in their arms and watching her put on her school uniform in September when she would have started pre-school. They added: “Instead, we are here in a place we could never have imagined when we took her to nursery that day on 9 May where she was meant to be safe and cared for. The pain of her loss is beyond any measure.

"We grieve for everything Genevieve has lost. Her life, that was so full of wonder and promise, was taken from her. We thank the police for their dedication to getting justice for Genevieve, for their professionalism and their compassion. We would not be here without their commitment or the work of the CPS and the legal team who have fought for Genevieve and our family. 

"Our beautiful daughter deserves to be remembered for the wonderful person she is, not the nature of her death. She deserves to have a legacy so that her life can inspire others. As a family, we will work tirelessly to ensure she has the legacy she deserves."

During the trial, the prosecution argued that the child’s death from asphyxiation, caused by pathophysiological stresses, was a direct result of Roughley’s actions in creating a "very unsafe sleeping environment." Peter Wright KC said the defendant had placed Genevieve, affectionately known to her family as Gigi, in "mortal danger" by her sleeping arrangements, which included inappropriately covering her with a blanket and then deliberately neglecting her.

In his closing speech to the jurors, Mr Wright said: "She considered Genevieve was occupying too much of her time and was too vocal, too demanding, so she was going to do something about it. Genevieve was being punished for her earlier perceived misdemeanours, for not sleeping long enough for her liking. She was being banished to the bean bag and restrained. It was a recipe for disaster, and disaster there followed."

At the start of the trial, some jurors were in tears as they watched nursery CCTV footage capturing the tragedy as Genevieve was left "virtually immobilised" from 1.35 pm to 3.12 pm. Mr Wright described how the child’s desperate fight for survival was evident, but her cries and the thrashing and writhing of her body were routinely and repeatedly ignored. Roughley paid "lip service" to any meaningful checks on Genevieve’s wellbeing until it was too late.

Her actions were driven by an "illogical and disturbing hostility" towards Genevieve, as further CCTV footage from May 5 and 6 revealed. The prosecution stated that Genevieve was subjected to "rough handling" by Roughley, who referred to her as a "stress head" and once said, "Genevieve go home. Do you have to be so loud and constant? Change the record." Roughley also sang to her, "stop whingeing" and "Genevieve go home. Please, I’m even asking nicely. You are driving me bananas and I’m not wearing pyjamas."