Babysitter admits killing infant in game of airplane gone wrong
By
Heather Rivers ,Woodstock Sentinel-Review
First posted: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 07:51 PM EST | Updated: Tuesday, November 12, 2013 08:00 PM EST
WOODSTOCK, Ont. — Murder charges were dropped against Ingersoll, Ont., babysitter Mellissa Garland following a shocking confession by the accused.
At what was supposed to be the start of a lengthy jury trial, a new version emerged of what happened on the morning of Aug. 9, 2010, to eventually cause the death of baby Brookelyn Hopkins.
Garland pleaded guilty to manslaughter, admitting to causing the infant's death while playing.
"Two weeks ago, Mellissa Garland finally chose to account for what happened in her home," assistant Crown attorney Steve Guiler told the court.
Guiler said Garland “put Brookelyn in harm's way” by engaging "in what is best described as an airplane ride."
"For some reason, she chose to spin herself and Brookelyn around," Guiler said. "Brookelyn was launched from her hands. Brookelyn was propelled through the air at least six feet in distance.
"Her brain swelled so much it choked off oxygen and blood."
Defence lawyer Rhonda Fawcett confirmed Garland began to "swing Brookelyn around in her arms" in a 360-degree circle and hit her head on a wall or a desk.
Garland, who had been babysitting the five-month-old, previously told officials she accidentally dropped the infant down the stairs after being tripped by her cat.
In this original version, Garland took Brookelyn upstairs to change her diaper and "get her ready to return to her parents" after the baby awoke around 10 a.m.
"She lost her footing at the top of the stairs, with Brookelyn in her arms, (and) reached out to grab the railing," Guiler said of the original version of events.
Brookelyn fell down the stairs, hit her head on the landing, and continued to the bottom of the stairs.
At that point, the child was "softly whimpering but responsive."
Previously, Garland had ended her story there, saying she then bolted out the door with the child. Two volunteers then rushed the Brookelyn to Alexandra Hospital.
A coroner's investigative team could not make sense of her story and the severity of the child's injuries, prompting a second-degree murder charge.
"She is remorseful. She wants Brookelyn's parents to know the truth," Fawcett said. "She is remorseful she did not tell the police everything at the time."
Garland will be sentenced on Jan. 9, 2014.
heather.rivers@sunmedia.ca
Five-month-old Brookelyn Hopkins. (Family Handout)
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