Baby injury led to concerns before unrest - court

Concerns were raised about a family three months before police and social workers removed a number of children from a house, sparking unrest in the Harehills area of Leeds, a judge has heard.

The first day of the fact-finding hearing at Leeds Family Court focused on how a baby, who was one of seven children living at a house in Harehills, suffered a fractured skull in April 2024.

In July, police and social workers became involved after concerns four of the children - not including the baby - could be taken from the UK to Romania.

This intervention led to disorder in which a police car was overturned and a bus was set alight.

The three-day hearing, heard before Judge Trotter-Jackson, forms part of wider proceedings to decide on a future care plan for the children.

It heard from the barrister Iain Hutchinson, representing Leeds City Council, who questioned the baby's mother over the delay in taking the child to hospital after the unexplained injury in April.

The court heard how the baby's mother heard the child cry but put it down to teething and said although the youngster was "agitated", she did not believe the baby was hurt.

Mr Hutchinson explained how doctors raised concerns after the baby was taken to hospital by its parents.

In a written opening statement, he said the family did not know how the injury had occurred but thought the baby's head may have struck the side of the cot.

"Medical opinion is that it is likely that the injury was caused by blunt force trauma or a fall from height, rendering the family's explanation implausible," the hearing was told.

The court heard another child, who was related to the baby, had visited the house and admitted picking up and then dropping the baby when her hair was pulled.

Judge Trotter-Jackson will hear evidence over three days but a decision on the care of all seven of the children will be made after a further hearing at a date yet to be fixed.

The four children who were placed in foster care on 18 July were later allowed to stay with extended family members, and have since been returned to their parents.

At an earlier hearing, the court heard the children were all foreign nationals without settled status in the UK, and it could be difficult for them to return to Britain.

All were already subject to family court orders, which would make it unlawful to remove them from the UK without the permission of either the local authority or the court.

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