Baby died in father's lap, inquest hears

William Cruttenden was woken by his partner Charlene Lunnen after she found five-month-old baby Rubie face down unconscious between his legs.

The grief-stricken father fought back tears at an inquest into his daughter's death on Wednesday, as he recalled the tragedy at his Old Church Road home in St Leonards.

He tried to resuscitate Rubie and managed to get her breathing again.

Paramedics took the infant to a specialist baby unit at Evelina Children's Hospital in London but she died two days later on September 16 last year.

Mr Cruttenden said: "I got up in the night to give Rubie an early morning feed as she was not really settling down.

"I took her downstairs and sat down on the sofa with Rubie to feed her. I wrapped her up in her quilt.

"She was leaning upright and cradled between my legs."

He fell asleep shortly afterwards and was woken up by his partner at around 9am.

Miss Lunnen wept as she gave evidence at the inquest.

She said she found baby Rubie face down between Mr Cruttenden's legs.

Miss Lunnen added: "Will wasn't on top of her or anything like that.

Rubie must have rolled over. I turned her over and found she was blue.

"Will gave her mouth-to-mouth and I telephoned for an ambulance."

The inquest heard that Rubie had suffered from health problems since being born prematurely by emergency Caesarean in March last year but she was overcoming them just before her tragic death.

Dr Marian Malone, pathologist, said Rubie was a "well-nourished and well-cared for baby".

Deputy coroner Joanna Pratt recorded a verdict of accidental death and said Rubie's brain had been starved of oxygen.

Offering her condolences to Rubie's family, she said: "This is a tragic set of circumstances. By going to sleep face down Rubie sustained the injuries from which she died.

"There are sadly risks involved in parents falling asleep with small babies."