Father’s Inaction After Daughter’s Fall From Change Table Costs Her Life

“Every time I close my eyes, all I see is her smiling face.”

It is the heartbreaking statement from first-time mother Emma Cosgrove.

Her seven-month old daughter Lily died from brain injuries after a fall from a change table while under the care of her father, Paul James Cosgrove, on September 14 last year.

While many of us have had that heart-stopping moment where bub has rolled off something onto the floor. A couch, the bed and yes, even the change table, most parents would do whatever they can to make sure their child is not injured.

Not so for Mr. Cosgrove, who inexplicably, did not seek any help for Lily.

The Perth man faced the Supreme Court after pleading guilty to the unlawful killing of his daughter, after he failed to seek medical attention for hours after the baby fell on her back and he noticed her eyes were “flickering”.

Mrs. Cosgrove had just returned to full time work at the time and had left Lily in the care of her 24-year-old husband.

Prosecutor Amanda Burrows said in the hours before Lily died, Mr. Cosgrove fell asleep with her on the couch of their Ellenbrook home and Lily fell off onto the floor and began vomiting.

Ms. Burrows said Mr. Cosgrove then took the child to be cared for by his neighbours, telling them he had to go to a job interview, but instead went for a massage and purchased alcohol.

After collecting Lily, he left the baby alone on a change table while he disposed of a nappy, and when he returned she was laying on the floor.

Instead of taking Lily to the hospital, Ms. Burrows said Mr. Cosgrove took her to bed and fell asleep and when he woke up, she was unresponsive.

Even then, he failed to take her to the hospital, instead placing Lily in the car to drive to Gigegannup, where he’d planned to meet Mrs. Cosgrove for her mother’s birthday.

Mrs. Cosgrove called during the car journey and when she was informed of the fall, she pleaded with her husband to take Lily to the hospital, but he refused and went back home.

When Mrs. Cosgrove returned home, she found her husband holding Lily, who was “floppy and unresponsive.”

Lily was taken to hospital and placed on life support, but her injuries included skull fractures and bleeding on the brain and she died two days later.

“I called the ambulance and no one could save her,” Mrs. Cosgrove said in a heart-breaking interview with The West Australian.

“I’m always going to remember that she loved me more than anyone and I loved her more than anyone, we were best mates and I was loving every minute of being a mum, she was the best daughter you could ever ask for. I just want everyone to pray that she’s okay and she’s happy and she’s not fretting, I just want people to pray for my baby that she’s fine and that we will be together again when it’s my turn,” she said.

In court, Ms. Burrows said there was evidence to suggest Cosgrove was told by various people not to leave the baby unattended, especially on the change table, because “babies could roll off”.

Mr. Cosgrove’s defence lawyer Jeremy Morris said his client had a major depressive disorder and had begun taking his medication two to three days before Lily’s death after a brief period of cessation.

“That gap may have impacted on his mental stability at the time,” he said.

Mr. Morris said Cosgrove was a first-time father who was “ill-equipped and immature to care for Lily properly”.

Judge Lindy Jenkins will sentence Cosgrove, who was remanded in custody, on December 20.

Source: The West Australian