Mom pleaded 'please make sure my baby is safe' before partner 'murdered' their baby daughter
Tuesday, July 20, 2021
Jordan Lee, 29, is accused of murdering his daughter Willow Lee after flying into a violent rage while looking after her.
Willow was found seriously injured at the family's home in Blackpool, on December 3.
She was rushed to Blackpool Victoria Hospital and later transferred to Alder Hey Children's Hospital in Liverpool, where she died three days later on December 6.
David McLachlan QC, prosecuting, told a jury at Preston Crown Court that they were dealing with a 'very sad case'.
The court heard that in the days before Willow was allegedly attacked she'd been unwell but a doctor who examined her believed there wasn't anything seriously wrong.
On the day itself - December 3 - Willow's mother Jade Bell gone to work and left her in the care of her partner Lee.
All appeared to be well at first, said Mr McLachlan, but 'matters took a turn for the worse' when the defendant's brother, Daniel Lee, who also lived at the address, messaged Jade at 1.18pm.
'He's seriously not fit to be a father,' he wrote. 'I feel sorry for Willow.'
'Alarm bells' started to ring for Jade, the court heard, and she responded saying 'What's happened?' and 'Is Willow OK?'
But according to Daniel Lee, Mr McLachlan said. that everything 'wasn't OK' and he sent a message to Jade saying how Willow had been crying all day and his brother was 'getting really angry and shouting at her.'
Daniel Lee attempted to calm things down and offered to look after Willow - prompting his brother to pick her up by the ankle and say 'here you go' before putting her back down again.
Their neighbour Samatha Holmes was also said to have become concerned by Willow's crying and had heard bangs and shouts including 'Shut up or I will…', 'It's done now there's nothing we can do about it', and 'Get her in that chair.'
Mr McLachlan said Jade sent further messages to Daniel Lee saying she was 'worried' that her partner was looking after Willow.
And she begged him: 'Please, please make sure he doesn't hurt her in any way' and 'Please make sure my baby is safe Dan.'
Lee had messaged Jade that 'everything was OK now' as Willow was asleep after she'd tried to 'calm the waters', he court heard.
But 'matters again seemed to take a turn for the worst', around 5pm said Mr McLachlan.
Daniel Lee heard his brother shouting: 'Will you shut up.'
He again offered to look after Willow so his brother would 'calm down'.
Snapchat recordings, taken by Daniel Lee, showed Willow crying before there was 'thud', said Mr McLachlan, and Willow stopped crying.
'The prosecution say that this is the significant moment that led to her loss of life a few days later,' he said.
'Jordan Lee was heard to say, "Willow, Willow, what's the matter?"'
He then ran upstairs with Willow in his hands and showed her to his brother, who could see she was 'unresponsive and her head was floppy.'
Paramedics were called to the home and Lee told them and Jade that Willow had 'fallen off the sofa.'
But the court heard how Willow had suffered a severe and traumatic injury to her head, causing a bleed to the brain, as well as bruises to the left hand side of her face.
A post-mortem found her brain injury was consistent will being forcibly shaken and the degree of force required was considerable - equivalent to a high-speed car accident or a fall from a multi-storey building.
A pathologist found the bruising to her face was consistent to the 'gripping, squeezing or twisting' of Willow's ear and would have caused 'immense pain'.
Her father was arrested and initially charged with attempted murder bit this was was later charged to murder after Willow's death.
Lee, who denies a charge of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter, maintained in police interviews that Willow had been 'really ill' and had been 'crying most of the day' but her injuries had been caused by her rolling off the sofa.
He said she'd been injured due to his 'lack of care' while he played on his X-Box but he denied been violent towards her, saying that's 'the one thing I couldn't' do.'
The trial is expected to last two weeks.