Health workers had no concerns before baby's alleged shaking death, court hears
Lexi Wilband died after collapsing in Newent in April 2020.
Last updated 5th Mar 2025
Health workers had no concerns about the welfare of a newborn baby who later died after allegedly being shaken to death, a court heard.
Melissa Wilband, 28, is on trial accused of the manslaughter of Lexi Wilband, alongside her then-partner Jack Wheeler, 31.
Bristol Crown Court has been told Lexi collapsed at her home in Newent in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire, in April 2020, when she was four months old, and died in hospital six days later.
Tests showed Lexi had suffered bleeding on her brain, and prosecutors allege this was likely caused by someone "shaking her violently", both recently and on at least one earlier occasion.
Community midwife Kate Clifford told the court she and her colleagues had seen Wilband regularly during her pregnancy and after Lexi was born.
She told the jury her concerns centred on the two defendants' living arrangements as they were sleeping in Wilband's parents' front room.
Lexi was born in the early hours of November 30 2019 and mother and baby were sent home the same day after an uneventful birth.
Ms Clifford said she and colleagues visited Wilband and Lexi at home in the weeks following the birth.
"The only issue I was concerned about was the housing situation and I wanted to be able to support Melissa in her housing needs," she told the court.
Jane Osborne KC, prosecuting, asked the witness: "During the course of your dealings with Melissa and Lexi in that short period of time after her birth until you ceased to see her, were there any concerns expressed to you about Lexi's health?
"Any concerns about her presentation or her appearance or the way she interacted with anybody?"
"No," Ms Clifford replied.
Ms Clifford went on: "Routinely we would discuss things like the quantities babies were feeding and whether they were settled between feeds and weight is one of the ways we can check babies are thriving and feeding well."
She confirmed she had no concerns about Lexi's feeding.
In February 2020, Wilband moved into a purpose-built council house, with Wheeler initially visiting regularly before moving in during the Covid-19 lockdown.
Health visitor Deirdre Delafield told the court she also had concerns about the defendants' living conditions.
She said she attended a meeting a few weeks before the birth with Wilband, her family and health and social workers to discuss the pregnancy.
Mrs Delafield confirmed the social worker reported concerns about previous drug use.
She added: "I still had concerns about the instability of the situation, the housing situation, the slightly chaotic lifestyle, the inability to manage her finances and her mood, which could be a bit up and down."
She said Wilband was given advice about contacting a mental health support service.
The court heard Mrs Delafield next saw Wilband after Lexi was born, and said the two defendants, or family members, had not raised any concerns with her about the child.
"She was feeding well and putting on a really good amount of weight," Mrs Delafield said.
"It's really unusual for parents to report developmental or interactional problems at that stage and we always take notice of what parents would say and any concerns raised would have been immediately reported on."
The jury has previously heard that Wilband had told Wheeler throughout her pregnancy that he was the biological father, despite this not being the case.
Paramedics attended Wilband's home on the evening of April 12 2020 and took Lexi to Gloucestershire Royal Hospital.
She was later transferred to Bristol Children's Hospital and died on April 18.
A post-mortem examination gave Lexi's cause of death as bleeding to the brain, caused by a non-accidental traumatic event such as someone "shaking her violently".
Wilband, of Newent, and Wheeler, of Ledbury, Herefordshire deny charges of manslaughter, and of causing or allowing Lexi's death.