Ambulance crew found girl, 3, dead in bedroom with 'dirty mattress' and no carpets, murder trial hears

Paramedics were sent to scene following a call about a child aged under five having a cardiac arrest, Birmingham Crown Court was told.

Ambulance technician Caitlin Harper said the bedroom where Kaylee-Jade was located in had a "dirty mattress," with no carpet or curtains and a light that did not work.

Kaylee-Jade's mother Nicola Priest, 22, who is on trial for murder, was sat on the bed in a "distressed" state and cried out "I don't think she is alive", jurors were told.

Co-accused Callum Redfern, 21, who is from Dudley, is also accused of murder.

Miss Harper said she and her colleague arrived at Priest's then address, in Kingshurst, Solihull, at 11.17am on August 9 last year.

Miss Harper, who was giving evidence, said: "She [Priest] was distressed and crying. She was crying out 'I don't think she is alive'.

"The little girl was on the floor next to the bed.

"CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation] wasn't needed. It was apparent she had been dead for some time."

The ambulance crew put defibrillator pads on Kaylee-Jade to detect signs of life, as part of protocol.

Miss Harper recalled finding "blood pooling" on the right hand side of the child's torso.

She also found "bruising clusters" on the child's left side and a "red abrasion mark" on her chest, the court heard. Miss Harper said Priest did not explain why Kaylee-Jade had those marks.

Miss Harper recalled to jurors the state of the room. She said the bed had a "dirty mattress" with no sheet, there was a duvet with no cover and there weren't any pillows.

She said the room was dark, with the light not working and no light bulbs available, and there were no curtains or blinds on the window. The floor also had no carpet and was a "hard" surface.

Miss Harper said asked Priest if Kaylee-Jade had any accidents leading up to her death. She said: "She [Priest] said about two weeks ago she [Kaylee-Jade] had fallen off her play table. She said she had hit her head but there were no injuries.

"I asked her if she had been vomiting afterwards and she said yes.

"She told me the night before [her death] she had been sick. She told me on the previous days she had a reduced appetite and wasn't eating as much."

Priest told Miss Harper that she had put her daughter to bed at 7.30pm the night before, jurors heard. In the night, Kaylee-Jade had been sick twice, with Priest last checking up on her at 10.30pm.

Priest woke up at 10.30am the following day, where she found Kaylee-Jade lying on her right hand side and moved her to the floor, the court heard.

Priest, of Poplar Avenue in Edgbaston, Birmingham, along with Redfern, of Temple Street Dudley - who prosecutors allege was in a "close relationship" with his co-accused – are accused of Kaylee-Jade’s murder and a separate alternative charge of manslaughter, which they deny.

The pair are also accused of causing or allowing the death of a child and cruelty to a child, between June 12 and August 3, 2020, which they also deny.

The trial continues.