A young woman told police she tried to revive a toddler who had gone “white as a sheet” and appeared not to be breathing, moments after playing a game she called “dizzy ducks”.
Jurors have listened to the police interview of Amy Cave, who is accused of an offence in connection with a toddler suffering a fractured skull.
Cave and Craig Neill were both charged after the child was left with a significant brain injury requiring surgery after the toddler collapsed in Darlington.
Teesside Crown Court heard how the child was in the sole care of 26-year-old Neill at the time they fell ill.
Transcripts of Cave’s police interview were read out where the 20-year-old told officers that she was playing ‘dizzy ducks’ with the toddler moments before the child collapsed and fell to the floor.
Recounting the minutes leading up to paramedics being called to her Darlington home, Cave said the child was "fine at the start of it" and then "started rocking side to side", adding: "That’s when they went to the floor and was all floppy.”
Cave told police that she didn’t think the toddler banged their head on anything when they fell to the ground.
She said: “There was nothing around other than pillows and blankets. I don’t know if they had hit their head – it all happened so quick.”
When asked whether the toddler had hit their head on any furniture, Cave replied: “No.”
The officers asked her what happened next, she said: “I went over and picked them up", adding that she called out their name and blew on their face.
She added: "I was sprinkling water on their face but there was nothing.
“They were as white as a sheet and didn’t look like they were breathing.”
Cave told the officers that she carried out CPR on the child while she was on the phone to the emergency services and there was nobody else in the house at the time.
When asked if Neill had ever been alone with the toddler, Cave replied: “No, never.”
The accused also told officers that she had not been in contact with Neill on the day of the alleged incident.
They also heard how friends and family warned Cave that her new partner had a violent past.
The 20-year-old had been in her new relationship for several weeks at the time of the alleged incident and was put under pressure to have an abortion after she fell pregnant.
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Paramedics and then police were called to an address in the Branksome area on the afternoon of May 26 at about 1.45pm following reports of an unresponsive child.
Cave, of Waltham Close, Darlington, pleaded not guilty to the charge of allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm.
While Neill, 26, of Yarm Road, Darlington, denies a charge of causing a child to suffer serious physical harm.
The trial continues.
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