Death-trial mum ‘caring and wanted to be loved’

A WOMAN accused along with her boy friend of killing her daughter was a caring mum who was desperate to be loved, a court heard.

Violet Mullen was only 15-months-old when she collapsed from internal injuries sustained after being violently attacked on January 12.

Claire Flanagan (22), of Waterhead, denies murdering and causing or allowing the death of baby Violet.

Gary Alcock, her 28-year-old live-in lover, denies the same charges.

Machester Crown Court heard that Christine Chamberlain, a health visitor, dropped in at Violet’s home in Huddersfield Road up until May, 2009 and was asked to describe her dealings with the family by police following the baby’s death.

She told court that there were no concerns for Violet in that period. The child, the court heard, was clean, appropriately dressed and well-fed, was normally developed for her age, and lived in an acceptably clean and tidy home.

In her statement to police Miss Chamberlain said: “I have to say that from my visits I formed the opinion that Claire was a caring mother who when needed, sought appropriate advice.”

Asked about what she knew of Flanagan’s private life, the witness told police: “Claire, on a personal level, in my conversations with her, gave me the impression of someone who desperately wanted to be loved.”

Giving evidence from the witness box, the health visitor told court: “Claire liked to have companionship — she was quite a vulnerable girl who was looking for a relationship.”

Mrs Chamberlain told court that Flanagan, of Huddersfield Road, had told her about her on-off relationship with Christopher Mullen, the man who wrongly believed himself to be Violet’s father at the time the baby died.

The court heard that in November, 2008, Mrs Chamberlain visited Flanagan a week after she complained, at the local medical centre of being in a “low mood.”

At the time of the visit, Violet seemed chesty, but Flanagan seemed fine, apparently because she had got back together with Mr Mullen.

When the health visitor next called in March, 2009, Flanagan had a new boy friend whom she had met on the internet, but two months later, on the occasion of her final visit, the health visitor learned that she was back with Mr Mullen.

The jury has been told that within weeks of finally splitting from Mr Mullen in late 2009, Flanagan was sharing her home with Gary Alcock.

Neighbours testified that they would often hear “shouting and screaming” from the property, mostly from Flanagan rather than her boy friends.

Andrew O’Byrne QC, defending Flanagan, put it to Jodie Shaw, who lived next door, that it was “simply not correct” to say there was constant shouting. Miss Shaw said: “She did, because I heard it.”

Karen Sillars, the neighbour on the other side, said there was “screaming, shouting, yelling” coming from the property three or four times a week.

(Proceeding)