A nursery worker where a baby girl died has been jailed after she was captured on CCTV ‘threatening to kick’ one baby and ‘throwing’ another to the ground.
Rebecca Gregory admitted to neglecting four children on April 26, 2022. Her ‘abuse’ of the little ones only came to light when police reviewed CCTV footage from the care home, following the tragic death of another baby girl.
The court heard how the 25-year-old, of Pearl Street, Hazel Grove, started working at Tiny Toes Nursery, in Cheadle Hulme, about seven years ago. It is the same nursery where nine-month-old Genevieve Meehan died in May 2022.
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Kate Roughley was jailed for 14 years in May this year for manslaughter by assault. On Monday (2 September), Gregory wept at Minshull Street Crown Court, clutching a handkerchief as details of her offences against four young people were revealed. They were not linked to Genevieve’s death.
She wrapped the four “vulnerable” victims in a cloth, placing one child face down with a pacifier in his mouth and “threatening to kick” another child.
Prosecutor Tom Challinor said Gregory was seen on CCTV abusing the children, which was viewed by officers investigating Genevieve’s death.
He said it showed the “rough and aggressive” treatment of four children who were put into “dangerous positions” as they were put to sleep. The victims cannot be identified for legal reasons.
Mr Challinor said, in relation to the first victim, a girl, Gregory “wrapped her in a blanket” before placing her face down on a mat, with another blanket covering her head. He said she would have been aware of the “inherent dangers” of doing this because of her training.
Over the next 30 minutes, as seen in CCTV footage played in court, the girl “did not want to settle”. Gregory became “irritable and angry” and “threatened to knock the child unconscious” before pushing her head back onto the mat, the court heard.
Later, when the baby was still not asleep, Gregory grabbed the corner of the blanket she was wrapped in and pulled, causing the toddler to ‘spin’ and fall to the floor. A second child was also swaddled and placed face down in the kitchen next to the baby’s room, the court was told. CCTV footage of the incident was also shown to the court.
Gregory became ‘angry and agitated’ as he continued to cry, before ‘threatening to kick him’, Mr Challinor said. He was later removed from the blanket and ‘dumped’ onto the floor, where he fell on his face.
Later, after being placed in a cot, Gregory was heard to say, “What the hell are you doing, little boy?” before being “dumped” onto a mat and left in a “distraught” state.
Gregory told the third victim to “shut up” before his head hit the ground as he was laid down to be swaddled, Mr Challinor told the court.
Gregory then ‘removed him to a cot’, the court heard. The ‘abuse’ of the toddler continued into the afternoon, when she was heard saying: “What’s the point of your existence?” as the baby boy lay crying.
As she put him on and picked him up at the end of the day, Gregory was heard on the footage saying, “Put your arm through and go the fuck home.” She was seen “dumping” him on the kitchen floor.
And as for the fourth baby, also a boy, Gregory “roughly lifted him off the floor” and “swung him back and forth” before “pushing” him into a high chair, causing him to cry, the court was told.
Again she wrapped him in a blanket, put a pacifier in his mouth and we heard her say, “Put that in your mouth and shut up.”
She then placed him face down on a mat and covered his face with a blanket. When he tried to lift his head, she ‘forced’ it back down before ‘leaning her thigh on the child’, the court heard.
Later that day, Gregory was caught moving him from the diaper area to a cot. As she laid him down, she was heard screaming, “Do me a f*cking favor and don’t wake up until you get home” and “What are you doing? Stop it.”
On November 14, 2023, Gregory was arrested at her home. When presented with the evidence during her interrogation, she admitted to abusing the children and claimed the daycare was understaffed.
She pleaded guilty to four counts of malicious abuse, maltreatment, neglect, abandonment or exposure of a child in a manner likely to cause unnecessary suffering.
Defence counsel, Ms Milena Bennett, said Gregory’s behaviour was “out of character”. She claimed the nursery worker had complained about staffing levels but was “rejected”. Her disappointment had gotten the better of her and she focused on the children she was supposed to be looking after,” Ms Bennett said.
“It wasn’t her character. She got into such a mood; when she saw the video herself, she said she couldn’t believe it was her. She didn’t recognize herself.”
She noted that the offences were all recorded on the same day, adding: “There is nothing to suggest that this was a pattern of behaviour by Miss Gregory. She is extremely remorseful.”
The 25-year-old, who was 22 at the time of the incidents, is a carer for her legally deaf and blind mother and her autistic brother. Judge Tina Landale said in sentencing: “When you committed your offences, you had seven years of experience. The parents who entrusted their precious children to you trusted you to care for babies safely and kindly.
“The crimes against these four babies were committed in the nursery where you had worked for two years. Instead of treating them kindly and safely, you were violent and neglectful, exposing them to the risk of serious harm.
“It is clear that you did not care for these babies. You displayed persistent behavior when you did not think you were being observed. These babies were particularly vulnerable because they could not express their distress.”
Gregory was sentenced to three years in prison. She must serve at least half of it behind bars and the rest on probation. She is no longer allowed to work with children or vulnerable people.
Detective Constable Natalie Pettit, of GMP’s Stockport district, said: “Anyone who hears the details of this investigation cannot help but be disgusted by the reckless actions of Rebecca Gregory.
“She knew her actions fell far outside the appropriate professional standards, yet she failed to take reasonable steps to protect these children. This was a harrowing investigation that highlighted a number of unacceptable behaviours and practices at Tiny Toes Nursery.
“It was clear that there was a culture where inappropriate behaviour was not being addressed, which put several children in their care at risk of serious harm.
“We have worked closely with the Crown Prosecution Service to build a strong case and following an extensive investigation we are pleased that Gregory will now face the consequences of her actions.”
Tiny Toes Nursery had its licence to operate revoked by Ofsted the day after Genevieve died. Four months later an inspection found it did not meet legal requirements and the nursery’s owners surrendered its licence shortly afterwards. It is now run by another company.