A father shook his eight-week-old daughter to death as her young mother ‘turned a blind eye’ to the abuse.
Baby Holly Roe suffered fatal head injuries and 11 rib fractures in her short life, Lewes Crown Court in Hove heard.
Her father, Michael Roe, 32, is accused of shaking baby Holly on more than one occasion leading to her death from head injuries in September 2018.
Tiffany Tate, 22, Holly’s mother, is accused of allowing her child’s death at the hands of the father, Sally Howes QC told the jury.
Michael Roe, 32, is accused of shaking his baby daughter, Holly Roe, on numerous occasions, leading to her death. Tiffany Tate, 22, Holly’s mother, is charged with allowing her child’s death at Roe’s hand
Baby Holly Roe, pictured, was born two months premature in July 2018. She died just eight weeks later
Holly was born on July 14, 2018, two months early by emergency caesarian section and had to be resuscitated. The infant was discharged from hospital on August 9.
Within a few weeks she was dead from injuries caused by violent, abusive shaking, the court heard.
The rib fractures would have been extremely painful and Holly would have been severely distressed, Ms Howes said.
Tiffany Tate told police she thought her baby was absolutely fine just hours before her baby died.
Tiffany Tate turned a blind eye, Ms Howes told the jury.
Miss Tate said Michael Roe woke her at 1.30am saying: ‘Holly’s cold, she’s not breathing.’
Former foster child Tiffany Tate was only 19 when she moved in with Michael Roe.
Roe, pictured, is accused of fracturing his baby daughter’s ribs and delivering fatal blows to her head, caused by violent and abusive shaking
They lived together at Alderbrook Road in Crowborough, East Sussex when baby Holly was born two months premature.
Ms Tate admitted she had trouble bonding with her daughter while she was still in the premature baby unit which continued after Holly was allowed home.
When the baby cried, she became frustrated and panicked, Ms Howes said.
Michael Roe took over night feeds as Tiffany Tate had no patience with Holly, the court heard.
Mr Roe fed the baby after smoking a cannabis joint on the night she died, the court heard.
Emergency services were called to the house in the early hours of Monday, September 10, 2018 after the couple reported she was having breathing difficulties.
A court heard today that Tate (pictured with baby Holly) turned a blind eye to her partner’s violent treatment of their daughter
Holly was found to be cold, not breathing and with no heart activity at all, Ms Howes said.
Michael Roe told police something startled him.
‘He felt Holly’s head and it was cold. He then felt her chest and it was warm. He carried out a test for reflex, there was none,’ Ms Howes said.
‘He woke Tiffany Tate and gave two rescue breaths to Holly but she did not respond. Michael Roe rang the emergency services for an ambulance.’
Paramedics battled to save her before she was taken to Pembury Hospital in Tunbridge Wells where she was pronounced dead.
Port mortem examinations showed numerous signs of injury on her tiny body.
Eight-week-old Holly had suffered head injuries on three different occasions before her death and 12 rib fractures. She died on September 10, 2018.
Michael Roe had no patients with his daughter and lost his temper at feeding times, Ms Howes told the jury.
‘Michael Roe knew exactly what he was doing,’ she said.
Unemployed Mr Roe denies murder. Ms Tate, also unemployed, denies causing or allowing the death of her child.
The jury have been told the case they are hearing for the first time is a retrial.
The trial at Lewes Crown Court in Hove continues.