Manslaughter Trial Hears Mother Left Teddy On Daughter's Bed
A doctor on trial for killing her severely disabled daughter told gardai she was a demented mother with a screaming child.
Bernadette Scully of Emvale, Bachelor’s Walk in Tullamore denies the manslaughter of her 11 year old child in 2012.
The 58 year old said she would never hurt her child.
A few days after Emily's death, Ms Scully gave an interview to gardai where she described how exhausted she was in the weeks before Emily died.
Bernadette Scully said she gave her a sedative at around 2 and 6am that day when Emily woke up screaming and crying.
She told gardai Emily then had a fit that morning when it was just the two of them in the house.
She described it as one she had never seen before –it just wouldn’t stop and Emily’s arms and legs were jerking.
The court heard she administered the sedative again and Emily just stopped breathing.
She described wrapping Emily in a blanket and left a Padre Pio medal and her teddy on her bed. She gave her a kiss and told her I’m coming with you.
The court heard she then wrote a letter addressed to her partner and tried to take her own life.
She told gardai she knew she gave Emily more of the sedative - choral hydrate - than she should have but she couldn’t live without her.
She said she didn’t ring an ambulance she was exhausted and wasn’t thinking rationally.
She said she felt she did her best to help her.
She said she wasn't sure why Emily died but she said she had a massive fit - the likes of which she had never seen before. She said the choral hydrate could have contributed.