Tot who social services wanted to take into care ‘looked like she’d gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson after dying in pool of vomit’
Autumn Gooch was found face down and unresponsive by mum Nikki - 'who lacked affection' - up to four hours after she last checked on her
A TRAGIC toddler who social services wanted to take into care "looked like she had gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson" after she "died in a pool of her own vomit while her mum watched TV".
Autumn Gooch was found face down and unresponsive by mum Nikki Gooch - "who lacked affection" - at around 2pm on April 11, 2015, an inquest heard today.
Her dad Craig Macdonald today admitted he and the toddler's mum "could have done more" to prevent the tragedy - as the tot's mum failed to appear at the inquest despite being summoned.
Gooch had previously been arrested on suspicion of murder and later charged with neglect, but was never prosecuted.
The Bedfordshire and Luton Coroner's Court heard the youngster was discovered in a state of rigor mortis a number of hours after she died at the family home in Maulden, Bedfordshire.
Paramedics were called to the scene but when they arrived it was clear nothing could be done and no attempts were made to resuscitate Autumn.
Kim Taylor from the East of England Ambulance service was first to the scene and found Autumn lying on the bed in a wet nappy with vomit on her face, next to a bottle of congealed milk.
She said mum-of-two Gooch kept saying: "You can't do anything, because she has passed away."
Speaking at the inquest today Macdonald said: "Nikki told me she'd rang her mother for advice and then rang an ambulance.
"She made a comment to me she looked like she'd gone 12 rounds with Mike Tyson.
"She said she tried to revive her by turning her upside down."
Macdonald said Gooch started drinking around 12 months after her pregnancy and didn't know how to stop, according to .
He added: "On the whole we could have done a little bit more than we did."
Autumn's death came after Gooch, 29, and the tot's dad were told the council wanted to place her in care as the parents were deemed "unable to provide care in the short, medium and long term".
Central Bedfordshire Council applied to have Autumn placed in foster care on March 20 of 2015 after a long period of observation dating back to October 2013 - but this was refused by Luton Family Court.
It was agreed family members and professional members would visit the parents on a daily basis to support them and check on Autumn.
But despite visits there was no improvement to the toddler's care, the inquest was told.
Authorities were first referred to Gooch after she was found drunk while looking after Autumn in 2013.
Social workers made daily visits to the home to support the couple, who had an on-off relationship for five years, but the quality of care given to the toddler deteriorated as Gooch and Macdonald's relationship broke down.
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Macdonald moved out on March 20 last year and saw his daughter twice before she died in the care of his ex-girlfriend.
The unemployed forklift driver, who was at the court with family members today, learned of Autumn's death at 4pm on April 11 when his ex called him.
He said: "Nikki got up around half past six, peeked into the bedroom to see if she was still asleep and left her, that is what Nikki told me.
"She was downstairs watching TV and on her phone until Brenda Gooch, Nikki's mum, rang her - but I don't know what time that was."
The court heard Gooch checked on Autumn at around 10 or 11am and not again until 2pm.
When Autumn died the council were in the process of requesting a review into the decision by Luton Family Court.
This came after the agreement that saw professionals and family members making visits to the two-bed semi-detached home broke down.
Claire Collins, from the Biggleswade Family Support Team, said: "Concerns were raised due to the lack of progress, despite daily input from professionals."
She said there were worries about Autumn being underdressed at times, a lack of routine for the child and a lack of communication and engagement with Autumn from her mum.
Collins added: "There was a lack of affection between Autumn and her mother, she was not engaging with her, she was not playing with her, taking her out, taking her to groups."
When the parents were first reviewed by social services both were noted to have alcohol issues.
Speaking outside the inquest, the dad-of-four said: "We loved her, her life ended too soon. I've got four kids and I miss her every day. She was a wonderful little girl.
"It was me, my wife and other family members who looked after her. We all just want to know how she died."
Dr Nathaniel Cary told the hearing the infant's cause of death was unknown, despite a thorough post-mortem examination.
He said results indicated two possible causes of death, one being an "enforced airway obstruction" - which would have starved Autumn of oxygen.
The other, based on observation of the brain, was an epileptic fit.
Dr Cary said: "The conclusion is the cause of death remains unascertained despite carrying out all those tests, we really have a range of possibilities.
"The problem is here there is not enough information, whether it was some kind of natural death linked to an epileptic seizure or whether there was an element of enforced airway obstruction."
There were no signs of injury, malnutrition or dehydration on Autumn's body.
The inquest, which is expected to last two days, continues.
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