Nelly's mum
VIP Member
Probably someone who drinks too much themself, I guess there's a generational aspect how family members respond
- Notice
bigmac22
Well-known member
Today’s updates - need to be read from bottom up:
3:30pm29/06/26
Emergency services
Jurors are watching CCTV footage of the paramedics arriving at the house on Hartington Close at 4.18pm.
Walker can be heard telling them that Isabelle had been in hospital and had been poorly since.
She messages Simpson saying: "The ambulance is here - I think she might die."
Simpson replies telling her to not 'say s*** like that'.
While speaking to paramedics she tells them that no one else had been at her home.
The 25-year-old can he heard asking if she is going to be arrested and says she has to go to talk to the police.
Walker sends messages to Simpson saying she is scared for Isabelle.
She messages him telling him not to return to the house as it's a 'crime scene' and says her daughter has had a heart attack.
She later tells him that they are being 'blue -lighted' to Newcastle RVI.
The hearing has concluded for the day and will resume tomorrow morning.
3:30pm29/06/26
Emergency services
Jurors are watching CCTV footage of the paramedics arriving at the house on Hartington Close at 4.18pm.
Walker can be heard telling them that Isabelle had been in hospital and had been poorly since.
She messages Simpson saying: "The ambulance is here - I think she might die."
Simpson replies telling her to not 'say s*** like that'.
While speaking to paramedics she tells them that no one else had been at her home.
The 25-year-old can he heard asking if she is going to be arrested and says she has to go to talk to the police.
Walker sends messages to Simpson saying she is scared for Isabelle.
She messages him telling him not to return to the house as it's a 'crime scene' and says her daughter has had a heart attack.
She later tells him that they are being 'blue -lighted' to Newcastle RVI.
The hearing has concluded for the day and will resume tomorrow morning.
3:13pm29/06/26
Gravely ill
Jurors watched CCTV footage of Walker smoking a cigarette in her kitchen at around 3.25pm.
Mr Abrahams says Walker makes further Google searches about lethargy while saying Isabelle's name.
By 4pm, Walker is seen to remove the bong from her kitchen and places it outside next to her bin after calling her stepfather.
A few minutes later Walker can be heard saying Isabelle's name while smoking a cigarette in the kitchen.
Shortly after, Walker comes into the kitchen with her daughter in her arms saying 'please, please god'.
Her stepfather arrives at her home at 4.15pm and discovers that Walker has not called the emergency services and almost immediately tells her to ring 999.
The jury is now listening to the 999 call made by Walker.
The operator asks her if her daughter is breathing and Walker says 'I don't thing so'.
She tells Walker that a high-priority is on the way and talks her through how to carry out CPR.
Walker says that her stepfather is carrying out the CPR.
2:58pm29/06/26
Timeline evidence resumes
Mr Abrahams has resumed detailing the timeline of events from the early hours of September 13 before dealing with the start of the day where Simpson is up with Isabelle while Walker remains in bed.
By 11am, Simpson is in the garden while Walker has come down to the kitchen where they are chatting.
Jurors are now being taken through a series of messages from Walker to a variety people as the day progresses.
By 1.30pm, Walker is on the phone to her stepfather Dan Ackroyd telling him she 'needs to sort myself out' but says she is more concerned about Isabelle, who is asleep and not been seen or heard on camera that day.
Walker sends a series of messages with friends telling them that Isabelle is poorly and still in bed.
At 2.53pm, Walker tells Simpson that she is going to wake Isabelle up when she comes back from the shop saying she will be 'up all night' otherwise.
Simpson is caught on CCTV leaving the home just after 3pm.
Mr Abrahams says Walker then Googles ‘why would my toddler be bleeding’. A minute later the CCTV picks up her saying ‘You’re scaring me’.
She then Googles ‘what should I do if my child has blood in his stool’. She can be heard saying ‘come on’ and repeating Isabelle’s name on three occasions.
2:24pm29/06/26
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session of the trial gets under way Robert Durham giving evidence to the jury.
Mr Durham, a next door neighbour of Walker's on Hartington Close, is being taken through his evidence by Richard Wright KC, prosecuting.
He says he could smell 'a bit of weed' at the back of his house causing him to close window as his wife has a bad chest.
Dealing with events on the evening of September 12, the witness says he was at home watching tv when he heard a 'loud thud' at around 7.30pm.
He says: "It sounded like someone hitting the wall and was coming from next door."
When asked how many times he heard the noise, he says: "Just the once."
Nicholas Lumley KC, representing Simpson, is now cross examining Mr Durham's evidence.
He confirms that he heard the 'thud' at between 7pm and 7.30pm which sounded like it had hit the interior walls of the properties.
Mark McKone KC, representing Walker, has taken over questioning the witness.
Mr Durham confirms that he made his statement to the police seven days after hearing the 'thud' and says he knew the time as he was watching a tv programme that is on regularly.
He confirms that he didn't hear adults shouting or a child crying at the time of the thud.
1:05pm29/06/26
Day of fatal injury
Mr Abrahams has resumed with the timeline evidence and is dealing with events in the early hours of Saturday, September 13 - the day Isabelle suffered her fatal head injury.
He says Walker made a series of calls where she is telling someone that she was stabbed in the hand, shoulder and leg.
Simpson is seen on the CCTV footage coming in and out of the kitchen while Walker is on the phone getting angry when she is told she 'has been drinking' and shouts 'I'm not making a f****** drama'.
Shortly after 2am, Walker is captured on the same camera punching kitchen cupboard doors.
A snapchat video posted by Walker at around 2.45am was shown to the jury.
Five minutes later, Simpson is seen in the kitchen with his bong in his hands while Walker continues to drink from a can of lager.
The trial has adjourned for lunch and resume at 2pm.
12:49pm29/06/26
Old times
Richard Wright KC has taken over the evidence as he reads a statement into the record from Walker's childhood friend Sarah Ayre.
She recollects receiving a call from Walker where she told her that Isabelle was ill but didn't say what the problem was.
She says: "I would say she was on something from the way she was muttering her words."
The barrister is now reading two further written statements into the court record.
Another childhood friend says Walker moved to Barnard Castle to live with Isabelle's father before returning to Thornaby when the relationship broke down.
Katie Settle says Walker was paranoid 'someone was watching her' and her friend helped her to install two CCTV cameras in her new home after helping her move in.
The witness recounts how Walker told her she had been stabbed in the chest when someone ran into her home and stole her stash of cannabis.
Courtney Gibson, who only knew Walker through her best friend Ms Settle, confirms that she gave her two CCTV cameras to put in her house as she was concerned for her safety amid fears her former partner was following her.
12:37pm29/06/26
CCTV footage
The CCTV captures Walker starting to drink lager while on her mobile phone engaged in an angry conversation with someone.
Simpson returns to the Thornaby property where they are talking together in the kitchen.
The jury hears that Walker continues to drink while Simpson goes into the garden to smoke drugs from his bong.
12:29pm29/06/26
Trial resumes
Mr Abrahams has resumed taking the jury through the timeline of events.
He is dealing with what happened on September 12 where Walker tells her mother that Isabelle has started 'throwing up' again.
By mid-afternoon, Walker says her daughter is unwell again and is upset seeing her like that.
She messages her mother who asks her what she wants from Asda and she tells her ten cans of Stella to deal with her 'stress' as well as asking for nappies and food.
A phone message captures Isabelle at 4.46pm laid on her mother while Walker tells someone that she 'really isn't well'.
CCTV footage captures Claire Walker and Dan Ackroyd dropping off bags filled with shopping at around 5.30pm.
Mr Ackroyd is seen carrying a pack of Stella into the house.
11:49am29/06/26
Timeline continues
On September 12, there are clips of CCTV capturing Isabelle crying and her mother asking her what's up.
The camera also captures Simpson talking to Isabelle in the house at around midday.
There is now a short break in proseedings.
11:38am29/06/26
Stomach ache
Walker says Isabelle hasn't been sick for two days but is still complaining about her stomach hurting.
She says she has started eating again and has not thrown up.
Mr Abrahams is showing footage from September 11 when Claire Walker visited her daughter.
Ms Walker raises concerns with her daughter that when you look at Isabelle 'she looks like she has been abused'.
She can be heard saying 'I know she isn't but look at her'.
Further CCTV footage captures Walker complaining about all the washing she is having to do to her mother before telling her mother 'to chill out'.
Simpson messages Walker telling her that he is heading to her house and she tells him that her mother is still there but 'she won't bite you'.
Claire Walker then leaves before sending a series of messages to her daughter telling her that she is worried out her and offers to let her move back in with.
11:24am29/06/26
Return to timeline
Mr Abrahams is now resuming the timeline evidence with the jury.
They are dealing with videos and photographs involving interactions between Walker, Simpson and Isabelle.
He says on September 9, the CCTV captures Simpson in the garden of the Thornaby home of the toddler before a thud can be heard and Isabelle cries out.
By the afternoon, CCTV captures Simpson leaving the address on his bike before Walker then leaves the house with Isabelle.
In the early evening, Walker makes a telephone call discussing the call with the health visitor and can be heard saying that Isabelle 'is still not right'.
Simpson returns to the house at around 10.30pm.
On September 10, Isabelle is captured sitting at a child's table in a photograph taken by Simpson.
A short video is played to the jury showing Isabelle holding a sick bowl and telling Simpson that her stomach hurts.
CCTV footage shows Simpson leaving the house in the middle of the afternoon.
A series of messages showed Isabelle was missing her friends at nursery.
11:03am29/06/26
Delayed treatment
Miss Betts tells the jury that she believed that the incidents had occurred one after the other and there was no mention of any delay in taking Isabelle to hospital.
She tells the jury that Walker told her that Isabelle didn't require a pot on her leg and could go back to nursery.
Mr Wright asks the health visitor what the 'next steps' would be following the telephone call. She says they talked about home safety to prevent this kind of thing happening again.
The witness is now being cross examined by Simpson's defence barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC.
Miss Betts confirms that Walker did not tell her that she didn't want Isabelle to stay overnight in hospital.
"You were relying on what you were being told?" he says. The nurse replies: "Exactly."
Mark McKone KC, representing Walker, is now asking the witness questions.
He asks her about the telephone and whether a home visit was required. She says there was no need for a home visit to be instigated. "She was putting in place home safety changes."
She confirms that she did not ask Walker whether she had a current boyfriend at the time of the telephone call.
Mr Wright is re-examining Miss Betts evidence. She confirms that she was never told there had been a delay in taking Isabelle to hospital and was never made aware that the toddler was being sick following her discharge from hospital.
"You were relying on things that you were told," he asks. She says simply: "Yes."
10:52am29/06/26
Health visitor
Eileen Betts, a qualified nurse, is giving evidence about her interactions with Alexandra Walker following Isabelle's discharge from hospital after she was treated for her broken leg.
She says the notification came through five days after the hospital release and it referenced details of the injury and no 'safeguarding' concern was raised.
Richard Wright KC, the prosecuting barrister, asks Miss Betts what happened during the telephone call with Alexandra Walker on September 9.
The health visitor says she called Isabelle's mother and she told her that they had been to A&E and was upset about 'being accused of harming Isabelle'.
When asked about the injury, she says: "She said there was some confusion between the doctors about the kind of fracture it was."
Mr Wright asks the health visitor what Walker told her about how the break happened.
She says Walker told her that she heard Isabelle cry and when she went to check on her she could see her leg stuck between the cot bars before gently removing her daughter's leg back through the bars.
Miss Betts confirms that Walker didn't mention anyone else being in the house at the time the leg break happened.
10:38am29/06/26
Timeline continues
Paul Abrahams, from the prosecution team, will continue taking the jury through a timeline of events in the time leading up to the death of Isabelle Welsh in September last year.
Detective Constable Nicola Meakin is delivering the evidence compiled by Cleveland Police during the murder investigation into the toddler's mother, Alexandra Walker, and Harrison Simpson.
They are dealing with a series of messages sent and received by the pair.
CCTV cameras inside the home of 25-year-old Walker captured the couple moving around the house.
10:34am29/06/26
Evidence recap
Good morning, if you want to read a recap of Friday's evidence click here - Isabelle Welsh's mother 'intimidated' nurse in hospital, jury told
Emergency services
Jurors are watching CCTV footage of the paramedics arriving at the house on Hartington Close at 4.18pm.
Walker can be heard telling them that Isabelle had been in hospital and had been poorly since.
She messages Simpson saying: "The ambulance is here - I think she might die."
Simpson replies telling her to not 'say s*** like that'.
While speaking to paramedics she tells them that no one else had been at her home.
The 25-year-old can he heard asking if she is going to be arrested and says she has to go to talk to the police.
Walker sends messages to Simpson saying she is scared for Isabelle.
She messages him telling him not to return to the house as it's a 'crime scene' and says her daughter has had a heart attack.
She later tells him that they are being 'blue -lighted' to Newcastle RVI.
The hearing has concluded for the day and will resume tomorrow morning.
3:30pm29/06/26
Emergency services
Jurors are watching CCTV footage of the paramedics arriving at the house on Hartington Close at 4.18pm.
Walker can be heard telling them that Isabelle had been in hospital and had been poorly since.
She messages Simpson saying: "The ambulance is here - I think she might die."
Simpson replies telling her to not 'say s*** like that'.
While speaking to paramedics she tells them that no one else had been at her home.
The 25-year-old can he heard asking if she is going to be arrested and says she has to go to talk to the police.
Walker sends messages to Simpson saying she is scared for Isabelle.
She messages him telling him not to return to the house as it's a 'crime scene' and says her daughter has had a heart attack.
She later tells him that they are being 'blue -lighted' to Newcastle RVI.
The hearing has concluded for the day and will resume tomorrow morning.
3:13pm29/06/26
Gravely ill
Jurors watched CCTV footage of Walker smoking a cigarette in her kitchen at around 3.25pm.
Mr Abrahams says Walker makes further Google searches about lethargy while saying Isabelle's name.
By 4pm, Walker is seen to remove the bong from her kitchen and places it outside next to her bin after calling her stepfather.
A few minutes later Walker can be heard saying Isabelle's name while smoking a cigarette in the kitchen.
Shortly after, Walker comes into the kitchen with her daughter in her arms saying 'please, please god'.
Her stepfather arrives at her home at 4.15pm and discovers that Walker has not called the emergency services and almost immediately tells her to ring 999.
The jury is now listening to the 999 call made by Walker.
The operator asks her if her daughter is breathing and Walker says 'I don't thing so'.
She tells Walker that a high-priority is on the way and talks her through how to carry out CPR.
Walker says that her stepfather is carrying out the CPR.
2:58pm29/06/26
Timeline evidence resumes
Mr Abrahams has resumed detailing the timeline of events from the early hours of September 13 before dealing with the start of the day where Simpson is up with Isabelle while Walker remains in bed.
By 11am, Simpson is in the garden while Walker has come down to the kitchen where they are chatting.
Jurors are now being taken through a series of messages from Walker to a variety people as the day progresses.
By 1.30pm, Walker is on the phone to her stepfather Dan Ackroyd telling him she 'needs to sort myself out' but says she is more concerned about Isabelle, who is asleep and not been seen or heard on camera that day.
Walker sends a series of messages with friends telling them that Isabelle is poorly and still in bed.
At 2.53pm, Walker tells Simpson that she is going to wake Isabelle up when she comes back from the shop saying she will be 'up all night' otherwise.
Simpson is caught on CCTV leaving the home just after 3pm.
Mr Abrahams says Walker then Googles ‘why would my toddler be bleeding’. A minute later the CCTV picks up her saying ‘You’re scaring me’.
She then Googles ‘what should I do if my child has blood in his stool’. She can be heard saying ‘come on’ and repeating Isabelle’s name on three occasions.
2:24pm29/06/26
Afternoon Session
The afternoon session of the trial gets under way Robert Durham giving evidence to the jury.
Mr Durham, a next door neighbour of Walker's on Hartington Close, is being taken through his evidence by Richard Wright KC, prosecuting.
He says he could smell 'a bit of weed' at the back of his house causing him to close window as his wife has a bad chest.
Dealing with events on the evening of September 12, the witness says he was at home watching tv when he heard a 'loud thud' at around 7.30pm.
He says: "It sounded like someone hitting the wall and was coming from next door."
When asked how many times he heard the noise, he says: "Just the once."
Nicholas Lumley KC, representing Simpson, is now cross examining Mr Durham's evidence.
He confirms that he heard the 'thud' at between 7pm and 7.30pm which sounded like it had hit the interior walls of the properties.
Mark McKone KC, representing Walker, has taken over questioning the witness.
Mr Durham confirms that he made his statement to the police seven days after hearing the 'thud' and says he knew the time as he was watching a tv programme that is on regularly.
He confirms that he didn't hear adults shouting or a child crying at the time of the thud.
1:05pm29/06/26
Day of fatal injury
Mr Abrahams has resumed with the timeline evidence and is dealing with events in the early hours of Saturday, September 13 - the day Isabelle suffered her fatal head injury.
He says Walker made a series of calls where she is telling someone that she was stabbed in the hand, shoulder and leg.
Simpson is seen on the CCTV footage coming in and out of the kitchen while Walker is on the phone getting angry when she is told she 'has been drinking' and shouts 'I'm not making a f****** drama'.
Shortly after 2am, Walker is captured on the same camera punching kitchen cupboard doors.
A snapchat video posted by Walker at around 2.45am was shown to the jury.
Five minutes later, Simpson is seen in the kitchen with his bong in his hands while Walker continues to drink from a can of lager.
The trial has adjourned for lunch and resume at 2pm.
12:49pm29/06/26
Old times
Richard Wright KC has taken over the evidence as he reads a statement into the record from Walker's childhood friend Sarah Ayre.
She recollects receiving a call from Walker where she told her that Isabelle was ill but didn't say what the problem was.
She says: "I would say she was on something from the way she was muttering her words."
The barrister is now reading two further written statements into the court record.
Another childhood friend says Walker moved to Barnard Castle to live with Isabelle's father before returning to Thornaby when the relationship broke down.
Katie Settle says Walker was paranoid 'someone was watching her' and her friend helped her to install two CCTV cameras in her new home after helping her move in.
The witness recounts how Walker told her she had been stabbed in the chest when someone ran into her home and stole her stash of cannabis.
Courtney Gibson, who only knew Walker through her best friend Ms Settle, confirms that she gave her two CCTV cameras to put in her house as she was concerned for her safety amid fears her former partner was following her.
12:37pm29/06/26
CCTV footage
The CCTV captures Walker starting to drink lager while on her mobile phone engaged in an angry conversation with someone.
Simpson returns to the Thornaby property where they are talking together in the kitchen.
The jury hears that Walker continues to drink while Simpson goes into the garden to smoke drugs from his bong.
12:29pm29/06/26
Trial resumes
Mr Abrahams has resumed taking the jury through the timeline of events.
He is dealing with what happened on September 12 where Walker tells her mother that Isabelle has started 'throwing up' again.
By mid-afternoon, Walker says her daughter is unwell again and is upset seeing her like that.
She messages her mother who asks her what she wants from Asda and she tells her ten cans of Stella to deal with her 'stress' as well as asking for nappies and food.
A phone message captures Isabelle at 4.46pm laid on her mother while Walker tells someone that she 'really isn't well'.
CCTV footage captures Claire Walker and Dan Ackroyd dropping off bags filled with shopping at around 5.30pm.
Mr Ackroyd is seen carrying a pack of Stella into the house.
11:49am29/06/26
Timeline continues
On September 12, there are clips of CCTV capturing Isabelle crying and her mother asking her what's up.
The camera also captures Simpson talking to Isabelle in the house at around midday.
There is now a short break in proseedings.
11:38am29/06/26
Stomach ache
Walker says Isabelle hasn't been sick for two days but is still complaining about her stomach hurting.
She says she has started eating again and has not thrown up.
Mr Abrahams is showing footage from September 11 when Claire Walker visited her daughter.
Ms Walker raises concerns with her daughter that when you look at Isabelle 'she looks like she has been abused'.
She can be heard saying 'I know she isn't but look at her'.
Further CCTV footage captures Walker complaining about all the washing she is having to do to her mother before telling her mother 'to chill out'.
Simpson messages Walker telling her that he is heading to her house and she tells him that her mother is still there but 'she won't bite you'.
Claire Walker then leaves before sending a series of messages to her daughter telling her that she is worried out her and offers to let her move back in with.
11:24am29/06/26
Return to timeline
Mr Abrahams is now resuming the timeline evidence with the jury.
They are dealing with videos and photographs involving interactions between Walker, Simpson and Isabelle.
He says on September 9, the CCTV captures Simpson in the garden of the Thornaby home of the toddler before a thud can be heard and Isabelle cries out.
By the afternoon, CCTV captures Simpson leaving the address on his bike before Walker then leaves the house with Isabelle.
In the early evening, Walker makes a telephone call discussing the call with the health visitor and can be heard saying that Isabelle 'is still not right'.
Simpson returns to the house at around 10.30pm.
On September 10, Isabelle is captured sitting at a child's table in a photograph taken by Simpson.
A short video is played to the jury showing Isabelle holding a sick bowl and telling Simpson that her stomach hurts.
CCTV footage shows Simpson leaving the house in the middle of the afternoon.
A series of messages showed Isabelle was missing her friends at nursery.
11:03am29/06/26
Delayed treatment
Miss Betts tells the jury that she believed that the incidents had occurred one after the other and there was no mention of any delay in taking Isabelle to hospital.
She tells the jury that Walker told her that Isabelle didn't require a pot on her leg and could go back to nursery.
Mr Wright asks the health visitor what the 'next steps' would be following the telephone call. She says they talked about home safety to prevent this kind of thing happening again.
The witness is now being cross examined by Simpson's defence barrister, Nicholas Lumley KC.
Miss Betts confirms that Walker did not tell her that she didn't want Isabelle to stay overnight in hospital.
"You were relying on what you were being told?" he says. The nurse replies: "Exactly."
Mark McKone KC, representing Walker, is now asking the witness questions.
He asks her about the telephone and whether a home visit was required. She says there was no need for a home visit to be instigated. "She was putting in place home safety changes."
She confirms that she did not ask Walker whether she had a current boyfriend at the time of the telephone call.
Mr Wright is re-examining Miss Betts evidence. She confirms that she was never told there had been a delay in taking Isabelle to hospital and was never made aware that the toddler was being sick following her discharge from hospital.
"You were relying on things that you were told," he asks. She says simply: "Yes."
10:52am29/06/26
Health visitor
Eileen Betts, a qualified nurse, is giving evidence about her interactions with Alexandra Walker following Isabelle's discharge from hospital after she was treated for her broken leg.
She says the notification came through five days after the hospital release and it referenced details of the injury and no 'safeguarding' concern was raised.
Richard Wright KC, the prosecuting barrister, asks Miss Betts what happened during the telephone call with Alexandra Walker on September 9.
The health visitor says she called Isabelle's mother and she told her that they had been to A&E and was upset about 'being accused of harming Isabelle'.
When asked about the injury, she says: "She said there was some confusion between the doctors about the kind of fracture it was."
Mr Wright asks the health visitor what Walker told her about how the break happened.
She says Walker told her that she heard Isabelle cry and when she went to check on her she could see her leg stuck between the cot bars before gently removing her daughter's leg back through the bars.
Miss Betts confirms that Walker didn't mention anyone else being in the house at the time the leg break happened.
10:38am29/06/26
Timeline continues
Paul Abrahams, from the prosecution team, will continue taking the jury through a timeline of events in the time leading up to the death of Isabelle Welsh in September last year.
Detective Constable Nicola Meakin is delivering the evidence compiled by Cleveland Police during the murder investigation into the toddler's mother, Alexandra Walker, and Harrison Simpson.
They are dealing with a series of messages sent and received by the pair.
CCTV cameras inside the home of 25-year-old Walker captured the couple moving around the house.
10:34am29/06/26
Evidence recap
Good morning, if you want to read a recap of Friday's evidence click here - Isabelle Welsh's mother 'intimidated' nurse in hospital, jury told
nothinonyou
VIP Member
so Walker was sniggering and giggling while her baby was dying in hospital?
The more I read about her the sicker I feel she's a monster
karmadrama
Chatty Member
Someone asked why this case isn’t getting as much attention as Preston Davey’s. Personally I couldn’t bring myself to read the updates to begin with, as listening to Preston’s was hard enough. However I’ve just been reading through the updates on here (thanks to the poster who puts them on here, saves having to try and bypass the paywall) and I feel genuinely sick. I can’t even begin to comprehend what Isabelle went through. I really cannot find the words, it’s beyond heartbreaking.
And the worst thing is, after this trial is done and justice has been served, it’ll be on to the next. And the next. And the next. It just keeps happening and apparently the people who should learn from it don’t learn a thing
And the worst thing is, after this trial is done and justice has been served, it’ll be on to the next. And the next. And the next. It just keeps happening and apparently the people who should learn from it don’t learn a thing
Lolly505
VIP Member
Yeah, unfortunately I think people assume a child is 'well looked after' just because they're being fed, washed and clothed, sometimes given treats, etc, when that's just the bare minimum of looking after a child.
If she'd been so well looked after before this, surely alarm bells would have rang much sooner with the sheer volume of her injuries, how upset and in constant pain the poor girl was in, not to mention the context of Mum's new boyfriend and the sudden amount of alcohol/substance use in the house? Not getting medical help for a broken leg for almost two weeks ?
But so many people just don't want to 'rock the boat' when something clearly seems amiss, such as when a child 'look abused', because they don't want to upset anyone if they're wrong. People really demonise the idea of 'social services' getting involved, especially within families. So instead it's easier to just presume you're mistaken and do nothing.
Upintheair83
VIP Member
I followed the threads on Preston and commented on them. But it upset me so much, I'm trying not to get too heavy into this case. Not because I don't care, but I just don't know what to say anymore, all I can offer is the same thoughts- why? Why are children being treated like this. It's making me really feel like the world is a dark place and it's hard to see much light when reading things like this. I am outraged, but I dont know what the answer is anymore. All I can do is be present with my own child and let him bathe in the innocence of childhood for as long as possible.It’s also extremely draining emotionally to follow these trials and I think some people have to prioritise their own mental wellbeing. I’ve followed a lot on here over the years - Star, Arthur, Logan, the Letby trial, Sara, Preston and now little Isabelle. Reading about what was done to all of these poor children is devastating especially as a parent yourself with children a similar age to some.
I had my own concerns about a male figure in my partners family, one that caused alot of upset as I acted appropriately upon my concern. But I sleep in peace at night knowing I did all I could to protect my child, and I feel happy knowing I may have saved a child, my child, from abuse.
Rest in peace and safety Isabelle, away from harm xx
Happytobedivorced
Active member
So many babies being born into these chaotic lives. It’s heartbreaking.
I had a childhood surrounded by this kind of abuse, drama and instability and it has far- reaching consequences.
How many precious children are living lives like Isobel did? Under the radar and suffering day to day.
It’s a really complex problem with no easy solution but police as SS need to do better.
I had a childhood surrounded by this kind of abuse, drama and instability and it has far- reaching consequences.
How many precious children are living lives like Isobel did? Under the radar and suffering day to day.
It’s a really complex problem with no easy solution but police as SS need to do better.
OGJessicaFletcher
VIP Member
I don’t trust AW’s mum one bit, she only reported the bruise she seen on Isabelle’s back to the police after her death. If she seen the bruise on Isabelle’s back, she must also have seen the 10 areas of bruising/scratching, the circular bruises & the visible injuries to her face and neck. The Dr confirmed all the bruising was 'very obvious' to the eye & some of the injuries had already started to heal/scab on her back.
MistyWindows
VIP Member
Mr Wright is doing such a good job imo. He’s already got her to admit that Isabelle died by being abused/attacked, I know AW’s defence is that HS is the only one responsible for the abuse, but I feel like that’s easily disproven.
I mean ffs how can you think a toddler covered in bruises and with broken bones is only poorly from a virus?
This is a woman who is apparently studying forensics, not anyone with a severe learning disability etc.
Day 10 - Toddler murder and sexual abuse Trial.
Over 100 internal and external injuries on toddler explained to the jury
Court hears how toddler Isabelle Welsh was beaten, sexually violated and killed, say prosecutors
Teesside Crown Court sat in stunned silence as jurors were shown a macabre body-map of tiny Isabelle Welsh:
- Twenty-one bones snapped at different times;
- Ninety-seven cuts, bruises and scratches blotched across her face, torso and limbs;
- A vicious tear to her genital area;
- A fatal skull fracture that left the two-year-old’s brain bleeding and her heart stuttering to a stop on 14 September 2025.
Home Office pathologist Dr Sam Hoggard told the jury the child’s “catalogue of trauma” could only have come from “repeated, deliberate violence” visited upon her “over at least three separate assaults in the weeks before she died.”
Specialist eye-doctor Dr Jo McPartland added that the toddler’s eyes were riddled with so many haemorrhages “I lost count,” a classic sign, she said, of ferocious shaking.
Prosecutors allege that violence—and a final, murderous assault—came from the very people sworn to protect her: Isabelle’s mother, Alexandra Walker, 25, of Hartington Close, Thornaby, and Walker’s new boyfriend, Harrison Simpson, 22, of Greenham Close, Thorntree, Middlesbrough.
Both stand accused of murder. They also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child, two counts of assault by penetration committed between 10 and 14 September, and cruelty to a child under sixteen.
Each defendant denies every allegation, insisting Isabelle’s catastrophic injuries were accidental.
From the witness box, Dr Hoggard painted a picture of sustained torture. Isabelle’s arms, legs, spine—even her skull—had been broken and re-broken as the weeks ticked by.
The fatal blow, he said, almost certainly occurred on the day emergency services were called: Isabelle was “gripped and shaken with vigour”, then slammed, head-first, against “a wall or floor”, causing her skull to crack and her brain to haemorrhage.
Earlier, jurors heard that the toddler’s genital injuries included a laceration to her anus. “The only plausible explanation,” Dr Hoggard declared, “is that she was sexually assaulted before she died.”
Simpson, seated in the dock beside Walker, occasionally shook his head; Walker stared at the floor.
Their defence teams argue that Isabelle’s injuries were the tragic result of clumsiness and a series of unfortunate tumbles.
But lead prosecutor Imogen Eastham-Brown scoffed at the suggestion. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she told the jury, “children aged two do not rack up twenty-one fractures—at different stages of healing—by falling out of bed.
They do not sustain intimate injuries by accident. Isabelle was brutalised, sexually violated and, ultimately, murdered.”
Judge Mr Justice Adams reminded jurors that the defendants are “entitled to the presumption of innocence” until the prosecution proves its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial continues, with harrowing medical testimony expected to dominate the week ahead.
Over 100 internal and external injuries on toddler explained to the jury
Court hears how toddler Isabelle Welsh was beaten, sexually violated and killed, say prosecutors
Teesside Crown Court sat in stunned silence as jurors were shown a macabre body-map of tiny Isabelle Welsh:
- Twenty-one bones snapped at different times;
- Ninety-seven cuts, bruises and scratches blotched across her face, torso and limbs;
- A vicious tear to her genital area;
- A fatal skull fracture that left the two-year-old’s brain bleeding and her heart stuttering to a stop on 14 September 2025.
Home Office pathologist Dr Sam Hoggard told the jury the child’s “catalogue of trauma” could only have come from “repeated, deliberate violence” visited upon her “over at least three separate assaults in the weeks before she died.”
Specialist eye-doctor Dr Jo McPartland added that the toddler’s eyes were riddled with so many haemorrhages “I lost count,” a classic sign, she said, of ferocious shaking.
Prosecutors allege that violence—and a final, murderous assault—came from the very people sworn to protect her: Isabelle’s mother, Alexandra Walker, 25, of Hartington Close, Thornaby, and Walker’s new boyfriend, Harrison Simpson, 22, of Greenham Close, Thorntree, Middlesbrough.
Both stand accused of murder. They also face charges of causing or allowing the death of a child, two counts of assault by penetration committed between 10 and 14 September, and cruelty to a child under sixteen.
Each defendant denies every allegation, insisting Isabelle’s catastrophic injuries were accidental.
From the witness box, Dr Hoggard painted a picture of sustained torture. Isabelle’s arms, legs, spine—even her skull—had been broken and re-broken as the weeks ticked by.
The fatal blow, he said, almost certainly occurred on the day emergency services were called: Isabelle was “gripped and shaken with vigour”, then slammed, head-first, against “a wall or floor”, causing her skull to crack and her brain to haemorrhage.
Earlier, jurors heard that the toddler’s genital injuries included a laceration to her anus. “The only plausible explanation,” Dr Hoggard declared, “is that she was sexually assaulted before she died.”
Simpson, seated in the dock beside Walker, occasionally shook his head; Walker stared at the floor.
Their defence teams argue that Isabelle’s injuries were the tragic result of clumsiness and a series of unfortunate tumbles.
But lead prosecutor Imogen Eastham-Brown scoffed at the suggestion. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she told the jury, “children aged two do not rack up twenty-one fractures—at different stages of healing—by falling out of bed.
They do not sustain intimate injuries by accident. Isabelle was brutalised, sexually violated and, ultimately, murdered.”
Judge Mr Justice Adams reminded jurors that the defendants are “entitled to the presumption of innocence” until the prosecution proves its case beyond reasonable doubt.
The trial continues, with harrowing medical testimony expected to dominate the week ahead.
Bobbiewilson
VIP Member
I think they really need to start clamping down and prosecuting anyone who turns a blatant blind eye. The grandma could have done something here and so could Preston daveys grandma. Make examples of them everyone has responsibility to keep a child safe
The pain this family have already gone through, now extended into the pain of a trial of two evil people claiming to be innocent.
It broke my heart to read that Isabelle was found lying at the bottom of the stairs, and hadn't yet died and what mother wouldn't be doing what they can, holding that child, putting her at least on a couch and not leaving her side, but the mother took her from bed, lay her there and went off to sit in the kitchen. She didn't even get comfort in her last moments, that's so sick
It broke my heart to read that Isabelle was found lying at the bottom of the stairs, and hadn't yet died and what mother wouldn't be doing what they can, holding that child, putting her at least on a couch and not leaving her side, but the mother took her from bed, lay her there and went off to sit in the kitchen. She didn't even get comfort in her last moments, that's so sick
scot_nursey003
Well-known member
This is a bit random/off topic so apologies but just something I’ve been reflecting on. After my first baby I really struggled with feeling like I wasn’t “good enough” because I felt like I’m not funny enough, imaginative enough, like I wasn’t doing enough with him or doing the right things etc etc. Anyway this went on for months and got me really down, but reading about Isabelle & Preston and thinking about all the other babies who’ve experienced similar awful/tragic situations has made me realise that my baby had everything he needed. You don’t need to be a comedian or going to classes every day or anything complicated. All these babies want is comfort, love, safety and peace. It’s so simple yet that was too much for their supposed caregivers to provide 
Tanley
VIP Member
See, I think she was actively involved with the SA and googled about blood in nappies to see if she could blame it on something else. Because she knew by that stage that Isabelle was going to die or at the very least end up in hospital and many questions would be asked about the awful state this child was in.
Admittedly, my opinions are affected by the many years I spent working with vulnerable children, who had often been abused
Ray_of_Sunshine
VIP Member
What an absolute shit show. And in the middle of all of this a small child left alone to fend for herself 
GingerJones50
VIP Member
I don’t understand why social services weren’t all over this one? She’d been taken hospital with a broken leg which her mother admitted was 2 weeks old when she got help. Apparently the hospital triggered safeguarding procedures so social services mist have known. The hospital were reluctant to release her back to her mother and wanted her taken into care. So if she was released back, you would have expected social services to be pretty intensively involved, doing out of hours and unannounced visits which would have discovered the drinking. They don’t seem to have done much at all.
Lynn’ssnazzycardigan
VIP Member
I think the focus of the injuries being “clearly visible” is pointed. It’s making it plain to the jury what we have surmised, that the abuse would be obvious to anyone living in the household because that’s needed to convict them both, especially if it’s unclear who did what. I don’t understand why there was so many scratches on Isabelle, has someone scratched her with their nails or has she been caught by something when she’s been ragged around? It’s so upsetting I don’t want to think about it.
kabukigirl
Chatty Member
So it’s sounds like the scuzzy boyfriend SA’d Isabelle whilst she was grievously injured in bed from the “Thud” at 7pm the night before? She wasn’t seen / heard on CCTV at all the morning before she was found unresponsive in bed about 3pm after the boyfriend left the house & AW bothered to check up on her?
Can’t believe the Grandmother just ignoring seeing Isabelle rapidly deteriorating, though she “didnt like seeing it” - but did fuck all to help her. My brain can’t comprehend these people
Can’t believe the Grandmother just ignoring seeing Isabelle rapidly deteriorating, though she “didnt like seeing it” - but did fuck all to help her. My brain can’t comprehend these people