Family of baby girl who died in ‘dangerous’ cot give emotional interview as they hit out at ‘disgusting’ manufacturers who blamed toddler sister for death
A coroner ruled seven-week-old Grace Roseman was killed when she lifted her head over the side of her "dangerous" cot
THE parents of a baby girl who died after becoming trapped on the lid of her cot have branded its manufacturer 'disgusting' after they tried to blame her toddler sister for the death.
A coroner ruled seven-week-old Grace Roseman was tragically killed when she lifted her head over the foldable side of her "dangerous" Bednest cot in April last year.
Now, parents Esther and Gideon have appeared on ITV's This Morning to warn other parents of the dangers of bedside sleepers - as it's been revealed the same cot which caused Grace's death is still available to buy.
Speaking to hosts Ruth Langsford and Eamonn Holmes, mum Esther criticised the cot's design - adding she initially thought the mechanism, which allowed the side of the cot to be partially folded down, was a good feature.
She said: "Now when I look at it, it's completely pointless... it actually has no purpose at all. At the time, I thought it was really good."
Describing the day Grace died, Esther, who is also mum to Pearl, added: "Everything that morning wasn't normal, time was longer than it would ordinarily be."
The couple branded the cot's manufacturers "disgusting" after its lawyers implied a third party must have been involved in Grace's death - arguing she was too young to lift her head over the side.
Speaking to the, Grace's parents Esther and Gideon Roseman hit out at the actions of the manufacturer.
Gideon, 39, said: "We lost Grace and now we have been through this unbelievably awful ordeal.
"We had to suspend our grief to try to protect our family from these horrific allegations."
Speaking on ITV today, Esther added: "We haven't had time to think. The whole year and a half has been dominated by protecting Pearl."
A statement from Jill Greenfield of Fieldfisher, the law firm representing the Roseman family, said the coroner had "rejected allegations made by experts instructed by Bednest that Grace's toddler sister, Pearl, had potentially dragged Grace onto the top of the rail of the cot and caused her death".
She added: "Mr and Mrs Roseman were deeply affected by this untruth.
"Grace died more than a year-and-a-half ago and the Rosemans have had to live through hell waiting to confirm what happened - that the NCT Bednest cot caused the death of their beloved baby girl.
"During that time, they have also had to fight unfounded allegations put forward by experts instructed by Bednest that Grace's toddler sister was in some way potentially responsible for Grace's death.
"Gideon and Esther are bewildered, shocked and deeply hurt by the suggestion that their other daughter could possibly be implicated in Grace's death.
"They always knew that the Bednest cot killed their baby.
"Rather than force the Rosemans to undergo cross-examination at this inquest, Bednest could and should have apologised to the family, something that still hasn't happened.
"The Rosemans finally feel that justice had been done in Grace's name.
"They desperately hope that no other parents will ever have to go through a similar tragedy."
Mum Esther, who discovered her baby daughter's lifeless body, added: "Please don't buy this cot, or even use it second-hand.
"And considering what you have just heard, I would question whether you should anything from this company whatsoever."
Esther had spoken at the inquest about discovering her seven-week-old baby unconscious in the cot on April 9 2015.
She said: “I found Grace with her head hanging over the side, facing upwards.
“Her head was on the side which was half-folded. She was purple in colour. It was obvious she had been there some time – there was no sign of any life. I started screaming, ‘Grace is dead’.”
During the three-day inquest, experts told the court that the cot posed a "significant hazard" to any child old enough to lift their head
Grace tragically died of asphyxiation in the "dangerous" £199 Bednest cot after she became caught on the edge when she lifted her head over one of the fold-down sides.
Dr Betty Hutchon, a paediatric occupational therapist, said: "I was horrified when I saw the crib because of the bar going across.
"Seeing the height of the bar, and knowing what babies can do, I could see that the bar holding the side in that position would be a very big hazard if they baby fell on it."
"For me, it seems very dangerous for a baby and the design is flawed and needs to be changed."
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The cot, which was given to the devastated family by a relative, is able to be folded at the side, allowing mothers easier access to their children.
The company had suggested in marketing material that mums are able to leave their children unattended while the side was folded down, but the instructions - which Esther did not have access to - advised against this.
Trading Standards told the inquest that it failed to comply with basic safety instructions after being tested by CPSA, Consumer Product Safety Advice.
Bednest apparently agreed to contact their customer base and provide a "modification kit" - which included two screws and a screwdriver to prevent the side of the cot wall from being half-folded - but declined to offer a full-on recall of the product.
Esther had told the court that a relative had lent her the cot, but "it didn't come with any straps or instructions" - something Bednest argued would have negated the risk to Grace.
Senior coroner Penelope Schofield issued a 'regulation 28' report to 'prevent future deaths' and confirmed she would also be writing to the Secretary of State for business regarding the cot.
Gideon has said the family's fight is far from over.
He told the Daily Mail: "These cots are still on sale and no one’s been held accountable for what happened to our daughter."
The family said it wants to see a warning issued under general product safety regulations or, in an ideal world, the directors of Bednest tried for manslaughter.
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