Mother’s murder charge dismissed in daughter’s death

The murder charge against a mother, Laura Langley, 38, has been withdrawn following the death of her seven-week-old daughter. Ms. Langley had been accused of causing the death of Edith, who collapsed at the family residence in Blackpool, Lancashire, during the early hours of November 20, 2020. Paramedics initiated resuscitation efforts for Edith, which continued at the hospital, but she was subsequently pronounced deceased. Ms. Langley faced charges after the discovery that Edith had sustained 33 rib fractures. Her trial commenced in October of the previous year; however, the jury was dismissed to allow for a review of expert evidence. The Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) then discontinued the case on Monday, prior to the commencement of a planned retrial. A spokeswoman for the CPS stated: “Following a review of new, additional expert evidence, we have concluded there is no longer a reasonable prospect of securing a conviction. On that basis it was right for us to end the proceedings.” On the evening Edith died, Ms. Langley contacted 999 after her daughter ceased breathing. Paramedics arrived at the Belgrave Road, Marton address within minutes and took over chest compressions. Resuscitation attempts persisted at Blackpool Victoria Hospital, where the baby was pronounced dead a short time later. At Preston Crown Court, prosecutors presented no evidence after two prominent experts in pathology and bone health concluded that Edith’s injuries were consistent with resuscitation techniques employed at the hospital, according to a report by the Daily Mail. The CPS spokeswoman commented: “This is a deeply tragic case at the heart of which is the death of seven-week-old Edith.” She further added: “In every case we keep the evidence under review throughout the criminal process and if new facts emerge we take these into consideration.” She concluded: “We took the decision to prosecute this case based on expert evidence.” Further content from BBC Radio Lancashire is available on Sounds, and updates from BBC Lancashire can be followed on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Story ideas may be submitted to northwest.newsonline@bbc.co.uk. This material is copyrighted by BBC, 2024, with all rights reserved. The BBC states it is not accountable for the content of external sites and provides information regarding its external linking policy.