Wednesday, August 26, 2015

Dad on trial for murder of 5-week-old daughter (Glasgow, Scotland)

Dad is identified as IAN RUDDOCK.

http://news.stv.tv/west-central/1327024-ian-ruddock-accused-of-daughters-murder-performed-cpr-before-her-death/

Father accused of baby's murder 'performed CPR' before her death

STV 20 August 2015 15:37 BST

The estranged wife of a man accused of murdering his five-week-old daughter has told a court he performed CPR on the girl before she was taken to hospital.

Wendy Ruddock, 37, told a jury that her partner Ian sounded panicked when he told her to phone an ambulance after Olivia stopped breathing.

The High Court in Edinburgh heard on Thursday how the infant became ill during an early morning feed.

The court heard how Ruddock performed CPR on the youngster before she was taken to Yorkhill hospital in Glasgow.

Medics there tried to save Olivia's life and Ms Ruddock said she remembered seeing the infant hooked up to a number of "machines".

However, the court heard that doctors concluded that she "couldn't survive" her injuries.

Recalling what doctors told her before Olivia passed away, Ms Ruddock said: "They said 'she won't survive this,' and they switched off the machines."

Mrs Ruddock, of Clarkston, Glasgow, was giving evidence on the second day of proceedings against her husband, who lives in the city's Shawlands area.

He denies charges of murder, attempted murder and assault.

On Thursday, Mrs Ruddock told the court he had got up from bed in the early hours one morning to feed their daughter.

But during the feed, Olivia became unwell, prompting him to shout for her.

Saying he sounded panicked, Mrs Ruddock told prosecution lawyer Ashley Edwards: "I knew something wasn't right.

"He shouted on me to phone an ambulance which I did immediately. "The person on the other end of the phone was trying to talk us through CPR. But it was just panic stations."

Mrs Ruddock, who works in financial services, said her husband performed CPR on Olivia "as best he could".

She told the court: "You're not really thinking straight."

Mrs Ruddock also said that her husband went with Olivia in the ambulance.

She added: "I was in a terrible state."

Mrs Ruddock also told the court that at Yorkhill, medics conducted tests in a bid to find out what had made Olivia unwell.

She added: "I just remember Olivia being hooked up to a lot of machines."

Mrs Ruddock also told the court that medics concluded that they couldn't save Olivia's life.

She added: "The damage was too extensive and she couldn't survive."

The court heard that following Olivia's death, police interviewed both her and her husband.

Her daughter's body was not released to her family for six months.

Mrs Ruddock also told the court that she received counselling from the Scottish Cot Death Trust following the death of Olivia.

She said that her husband helped her in the weeks following Olivia's passing.

Mrs Ruddock added: "He was great. He was the one who sorted everything out. He was the one who got counselling for me. He was the one who lifted the phone as I couldn't even do that."

She also told the court that Mr Ruddock was "good" with children.

Mrs Ruddock told the court: "He certainly was very good with children. He was good with kids. He was good with my nieces and nephews.

"Whenever there was a family get together they would go to him. It seemed to be something that ran in his family."

The court also heard that the couple were now separated.

When Ms Edwards asked whether she thought their marriage would survive the trial, Ms Ruddock replied: "It's probably at an end."

Prosecutors allege that in 2009, Mr Ruddock assaulted a child at an address in the south side of Glasgow.

Crown lawyers also allege that on various locations between January 27, 2011 and March 6, 2011, at a house in Clarkston, Glasgow, he assaulted his daughter Olivia.

Prosecutors allege that he seized hold of Olivia, compressed her chest and rib cage with his hands before shaking her repeatedly.

It is also claimed that Ruddock "inflicted blunt force trauma" to her head and that she subsequently died at Yorkhill hospital on March 6, 2011.

The third charge charges that he attempted to murder another child two years ago at an address in Glasgow.

Ruddock is represented by advocate Donald Findlay QC. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The trial, before judge Lord Bannatyne, continues.