Worker at nursery where nine-month-old died caught ‘slamming child into floor’
Gregory was released on unconditional bail ahead of the hearing.
A woman who worked at nursery where a baby girl died is facing a possible jail term after she admitted neglecting four different children.
Rebecca Gregory, 25, ‘slammed’ one child down onto the floor, causing him to cry out in distress, whilst another’s head ‘slammed’ against a high-chair as he was placed into it.
Stockport Magistrates’ Court heard how Gregory told that little boy to ‘fecking go home’, as well as saying to another victim ‘put that in your gob and shut up’ after giving them a dummy.
Gregory worked at Tiny Toes Children’s Day Nursery in Cheadle Hulme, Stockport, Greater Manchester, where nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan died in May 2022.
Kate Roughley, 37, was jailed for 14 years in May this year after being found guilty of manslaughter by ill-treatment.
Following Roughley’s conviction, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) announced Gregory had been charged with the four offences, which are not linked to Genevieve’s death.
Today, Gregory pleaded guilty to four counts of wilfully assaulting, ill-treating, neglecting, abandoning or exposing a child in a manner likely to cause them unnecessary suffering or injury to health.
The charges relate to four separate children whose identities cannot be disclosed for legal reasons.
The court heard that the offences, all of which happened on April 26, 2022, were captured on CCTV viewed as part of an ‘operation by police.’
Moryam Begum, prosecuting, said in respect of the first child, a girl, Gregory was seen on the CCTV to pull a blanket over her and swaddle her, before pulling the edge of the blanket down causing the child to ‘spin and roll uncontrolled onto the floor’, leaving her crying.
With regards to the second victim, a boy, she was seen to ‘slam the child hard down onto the floor’ causing an ‘audible thud’ and ‘outbursts of distressed crying.’ Gregory was then heard to say ‘What are you f***ing doing kid?’
With regards to the third victim, another boy, she was seen to ‘swaddle him tightly’ and ‘pick him up facing outwards’ from a cot. She was also heard to say ‘put your arm through and f*****g go home.’
With regards to her fourth victim, another boy, Gregory was seen to pick him up off a playmat and place him in a high-chair, causing his head to ‘slam’ against the back of it.
On a separate occasion, she also ‘swaddled him tightly’ and put him down on a blanket. Gregory was then heard to say on the footage ‘put that in your gob and shut up’ in relation to a dummy.
On a third occasion, she also ‘leans over him, forcing his head down to the edge of the blanket’, Ms Begum said.
Trevor Feeley, mitigating, told the court he ‘couldn’t take any issue’ with what the prosecution had said. He said Gregory was of ‘previous good character’ and that ‘probation are aware of her guilty pleas.’
Gregory, of Pearl Street, Hazel Grove, will be sentenced at Manchester’s Minshull Street Crown Court on September 2. The maximum sentence for child neglect is a year in prison and/or an unlimited fine.
Magistrates said the case was ‘so serious’ that their sentencing powers were insufficient’.
A pre-sentence report has been ordered and Gregory was released on unconditional bail ahead of the hearing.
Tiny Toes Children’s Day Nursery has its licence to operate suspended by Ofsted the day after Genevieve died.
Four months later, an inspection found it had failed to meet its legal requirements and soon after the nursery’s owners gave up the licence. It is now being run by a different firm.
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