Home UK Poppi Worthingtons dad fails in bid to have death record changed

Poppi Worthingtons dad fails in bid to have death record changed

287
0

author image

A judge has refused Paul Worthingtons bid to have sexual abuse removed from his daughters official death record.

His lawyers claimed a coroner had overstepped the mark when he said Poppi Worthington had been abused before she died.

Coroner David Roberts ruled in January that Poppi was anally penetrated in her fathers double bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness in the early hours of December 12, 2012, but this did not cause her death.

He concluded the 13-month-old suffocated as she slept next to her father in an unsafe sleeping environment.

BEST QUALITY AVAILABLE Undated family handout file photo issued by Irwin Mitchell of Poppi Worthington. Lawyers for the father of toddler Poppi Worthington, who was sexually abused shortly before she died, have claimed a coroner "overstepped the mark" at the inquest when he recorded the reasons for her death. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Monday December 3, 2018. Former supermarket worker Paul Worthington, 50, believed to have been granted Legal Aid, took his case to the High Court, sitting in Manchester, where he was represented by high-profile barrister Leslie Thomas QC before three Law Lords. A coroner has ruled that his daughter Poppi, aged 13 months, was anally penetrated in her father's double bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness in the early hours of December 12 2012. See PA story LEGAL Poppi. Photo credit should read: /PA Wire NOTE TO EDITORS: This handout photo may only be used in for editorial reporting purposes for the contemporaneous illustration of events, things or the people in the image or facts mentioned in the caption. Reuse of the picture may require further permission from the copyright holder.

Poppi Worthington was 13 months old when she died (Picture: PA)

Court artist FILE sketch by Elizabeth Cook of Paul Worthington. Lawyers for the father of toddler Poppi Worthington, who was sexually abused shortly before she died, have claimed a coroner "overstepped the mark" at the inquest when he recorded the reasons for her death. PRESS ASSOCIATION Photo. Issue date: Monday December 3, 2018. Former supermarket worker Paul Worthington, 50, believed to have been granted Legal Aid, took his case to the High Court, sitting in Manchester, where he was represented by high-profile barrister Leslie Thomas QC before three Law Lords. A coroner has ruled that his daughter Poppi, aged 13 months, was anally penetrated in her father's double bed at the family home in Barrow-in-Furness in the early hours of December 12 2012. See PA story LEGAL Poppi. Photo credit should read: Elizabeth Cook/PA Wire

Paul Worthington in court (Picture: PA)

Worthington claimed that as the abuse did not cause her death, it should not form part of the official record because according to the law, this should only detail how the child died.

However, a High Court judge rejected a bid to remove details of her sexual abuse, and ordered him to pay costs for bringing a judicial review.

Advertisement

Advertisement

Mrs Justice Farbey, sitting at the High Court in Manchester, ruled the coroners approach cannot be faulted and in a 17 page legal judgment, ordered Mr Worthington, who is on Legal Aid, should pay the court costs, subject to his ability to pay.

Mr Worthington, 50, a former supermarket worker, last week took his case to the High Court, where he was represented by barrister Leslie Thomas QC before three Law Lords.

A general view of Liverpool Civil and Family Courts, where a hearing has been held into the death of 13-month-old Poppi Worthington in December 2012.

Liverpool Civil and Family Courts, where a hearing has been held into Poppis death in December 2012 (Picture: PA)

His lawyers had applied for a judicial review of the coroners record of inquest, the final two pages of his 87-page ruling, where the coroner must complete boxes in writing, detailing how the death occurred.

The ruling mirrored the findings of two earlier High Court judgments.

During the inquest, Mr Worthington refused to answer questions about his daughters death 252 times, so as not to incriminate himself.

Advertisement

Advertisement

[contf]
[contfnew]

METRO

[contfnewc]
[contfnewc]

Previous articleGiant sperm building will reduce Tower of Londons power
Next articlePoppi’s dad loses bid to overturn coroner’s ‘sexual abuse’ ruling