A court was told that social services failed to order a medical examination for a baby who was later murdered by her parents, even though 'dark black' bruises had been observed on her face days before.
Healthcare visitor, Zena Graham told Stafford Crown Court she informed social services about two 'dark black' bruises she spotted on Darcy-Leigh Jefferson's face three days before the newborn was admitted to hospital with a 'catastrophic' brain injury.
She also told social workers of 'dried blood' seen around the baby's lips during a visit to mother Amy Clarke's home in March 2022.
Darcy-Leigh, who was on a 'child protection plan', had appeared 'in some pain' and had been 'crying' during the visit.
But social services 'took a different view' and did not order a 'child protection medical examination', the court heard.
The baby died five days after Ms Graham's visit.
This comes after Sean Jefferson, 35, and Amy Clarke, 34, both deny murdering 5-month-old Darcy-Leigh and causing or allowing her death.
Dad, Mr Jefferson, of Birch Court, Walsall and Ms Clarke, of Enots Close, Lichfield, deny murder, an alternative count of manslaughter, causing or allowing the baby's death, grievous bodily harm with intent, causing or allowing a child to suffer serious physical harm and child cruelty.
Darcy-Leigh weighed just 4lbs when she was born prematurely at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, on February 20, 2022.
She was admitted to hospital on March 27 but died two days later on March 29, aged five weeks.
Prosecutors allege her parents subjected her to 'physical abuse' before she died in hospital on March 29, 2022.
Prosecutor Harpreet Sandhu KC asked the witness: 'Did you think that your policies suggested there should be a child protection medical examination?'
Ms Graham replied: 'Yes.'
The prosecutor continued: 'Did you make that clear to the [social work team]?'
MsGraham said: 'Crystal.'
Jurors were previously told that Darcy-Leigh's fatal brain injury could have been caused by her parents 'violently' shaking her or her head striking a surface.
Darcy-Leigh weighed just 4lbs when she was born prematurely at Good Hope Hospital, Sutton Coldfield, on February 20, 2022.
She also suffered 47 rib fractures, alleged to have been caused when her chest was tightly 'squeezed'.
Fractures to both of her legs may have been as a result of 'pulling or twisting' or when her body was shaken, jurors have been told.
Giving evidence on Thursday, Ms Graham said she saw Darcy with her mother a number of times - with her last visit on March 24.
The baby always looked clean and was well dressed, jurors heard.
During a call on February 28, Clarke said she had taken Darcy-Leigh to Samuel Johnson Community Hospital, in Lichfield.
This was because Clarke was 'worried' as she 'thought Jefferson had overfed' Darcy-Leigh and that the baby had 'vomited', the court heard.
Clarke told MsGraham that medics had said Darcy-Leigh had been suffering with jaundice but that the baby was 'safe to return home'.
MsGraham said she was also told by Clarke that Darcy-Leigh had lost eight per cent of her weight since birth.
Darcy-Leigh was admitted to the hospital on March 27 but died two days later on March 29, aged five weeks, after she had sustained a catastrophic brain injury.
Clarke seemed 'happy' during the phone call, MsGraham said.
The court heard how MsGraham visited Clarke's then home in Hudson Drive, Burntwood, on March 4.
She confirmed to jurors she did not see anything in the property which would suggest there had been alcohol or drug use.
The healthcare worker recalled how Clarke had said that her daughter was drinking between an ounce and an ounce and a half of milk every two to three hours.
Darcy-Leigh weighed less than her birth weight at this time, jurors heard.
Mr Sandhu asked: ‘Did you think that she handled Darcy-Leigh in an appropriate way?’
MsGraham replied: ‘Yes.’
The witness told jurors that Clarke told her that she had missed a hospital appointment the day earlier as she was not able to drive following her caesarean section.
Jurors also heard how a midwife visited Clarke’s home on March 7 after MsGraham had got in touch about ‘the small amount of weight that Darcy-Leigh had lost’.
On March 11, MsGraham made another visit to see Clarke and her daughter but there was no answer when she rang the doorbell.
When Clarke eventually answered, she told MsGraham the doorbell did not work and that she was ‘just about’ to feed her baby.
MsGraham recalled arranging to return within the hour, noting that the mum ‘seemed to be well, happy and relaxed’.
When she returned, MsGraham said Clarke had told her the baby was being fed every two to three hours and having between two to three ounces of a milk at a time.
MsGraham told the court Darcy-Leigh now weighed more than 4.2lbs.
The court heard how a further visit took place at Hudson Drive on March 18.
Clarke was ‘relaxed and happy’, having just had her nails and eyebrows done, MsGraham said.
The mum is said to have told MsGraham that Darcy-Leigh would not take three ounces of milk and would ‘projectile vomit’ when fed.
There was ‘no change’ in Darcy-Leigh’s weight and she seemed ‘quite long in length’, the court heard.
MsGraham went on to say that Clarke told her that Darcy-Leigh had ‘headbutted’ Jefferson’s collarbone as he held her over his shoulder and that her mouth had bled ‘a little’.
The witness said she could not see anything when she checked the baby’s lips.
During her final visit on March 24, MsGraham said she knocked on the door three times, but there was no answer.
She looked into the kitchen window and saw a buggy and a bottle of Infacol, while the dog was barking.
Clarke opened the door as MsGraham was walking away, the court heard.
The mum is said to have told the healthcare worker that she had been ‘up quite a few times’ the previous night with her daughter.
Darcy-Leigh ‘had been fussy with her feeding’, Clarke is said to have told MsGraham.
MsGraham confirmed that the baby, who was wearing a babygrow, felt ‘very hot on the back of her neck’.
Clarke explained that she had put the heater on in the upstairs bedroom ‘to keep Darcy-Leigh warm’.
MsGraham said: ‘Darcy-Leigh was crying; she was very unsettled. She did not want to feed from mum.’
MsGraham told the court that Clarke had said to her that Darcy-Leigh had been ‘scratching herself’ with her nails.
The mum then pointed out what appeared to be ‘dried blood’ on the corners of the tot’s lips.
Mr Sandhu asked the witness: ‘Did Clarke ask you if it seemed to you that Darcy was bleeding?’
The witness said: ‘She asked why it would be there, what would cause it potentially.’
The court heard how the healthcare worker could not see any ‘fresh blood’ in the baby’s mouth so Clarke wiped away her daughter’s lips with a moist cloth.
MsGraham told the court: ‘I’m not a medical professional. It could have been an underlying health, blood clotting, issue.
‘It could have been forceful feeding.’
She said she told Clarke that anyone feeding Darcy-Leigh ‘needed to be careful’.
Jurors then heard how Clarke is also said to have told MsGraham that Jefferson would hold Darcy-Leigh’s chin with his thumb and forefinger when he winded her.
MsGraham confirmed she checked the baby and noticed two ‘dark black’ bruises either side of her mouth and chin.
She told Clarke that Jefferson needed to hold the baby ‘not so hard’ and that she needed to report the bruises to social services, as per policies in place.
The witness told jurors: ‘Babies of that age don’t routinely bruise easily and because they are not moving about how a toddler would, that was of more concern.’
Clarke - who described having had ‘very little sleep ’- then asked if ‘they would be in any trouble’, the court heard.
Mr Sandhu said: ‘Did Darcy-Leigh continue to be upset during the course of your visit?’
MsGraham replied: ‘Yes.’
The prosecutor went on: ‘Did it seem to you that she might be in some pain or that she might be in some discomfort?’
MsGraham said: ‘Yes.’
The healthcare worker confirmed the baby had not seemed ‘unsettled’ in this way during her three previous visits.
Jurors heard how Darcy-Leigh remained ‘unsettled’ as Clarke tried to feed her so MsGraham gave it a go.
She said: ‘I held her gently in my arms. At first she tried to push the teat. She kept thrusting against the bottle teat.’
Using ‘gentle care and handling’, Darcy-Leigh began to feed, MsGraham said.
She went on: ‘She just took the teat. She drained the whole two ounces of that bottle from me.
‘That little girl knew who was holding her. She knew that somebody different was holding her and she took that milk.’
MrSandhu said:‘DidClarke saythat shewasconcerned aboutDarcy-Leighbeing fussywithherfeedingandconcerned aboutDarcy-Leighnotgainingweightas sheshould?’
MsGraham replied:‘Yes.’
She went on:‘Icouldnotunderstand whywehada formula-fedbabythatwasnotgainingweight,thatwouldgainweightandthenwouldbecome staticonachart,when theywouldjustplateauandnotcontinuegaining,withtheamountoffeeds thatwere reportedtobeoffered.
Iwasnothappy—reallyfromtheday shecameoutofhospitalandthat’swhyImonitoredhersomuchandkeptaskingtheprofessionals toseeherbecauseIcouldn’tunderstand whywehadababythatwasformula-fedthatwasnotadequatelygainingweightas theyshould.’
MrSandhupreviouslytoldjurorsthatmedicalexpertssayDarcy-Leigh‘didnothaveanymedicalconditions whichwouldexplainherdeath’.
'Sh diedbecauseatraumaticheadinjuryhadbeen inflicteduponher', h said.
Clarke'drankalotofalcohol'tookcocaine,continuingbothwhilepregnantsoonaft rbirth,w ileJeffersonsmokedcannabis . jurorswere toldhowClarke'carefulensuretherewere signs'at homethatwasdrinkingtakingdrugs . She allegedly'hidtruth'leadothersbelievinghad 'well-presentedorderedlife',MrSandhusaid .