"You are a miserable couple. Here is a poor little baby suffering because her father and mother were quarrelling. I don't know what the quarrel was between you, but you certainly should be thoroughly ashamed of yourselves."
This was the censure passed by Dr. Whitehouse at Greenwich yesterday on the parents of Audrey Victoria Gaskin, aged five months, who died in hospital from enteritis caused by sores.
Evidence showed that, following a quarrel between the parents, the father had washed and dressed the child for several days. Eventually he asked that it should be taken into hospital.
Replying to the coroner, he said his wife had left the house pending police court proceedings. The wife said her husband had turned her out. In his absence she used to go to the house to do what she could for the child..
She added that the child slept in a cot in the father's room, while she had to sleep in the kitchen.
Death from natural causes was recorded.