THE heartbreaking final moments of baby Chloe Murphy’s life have been revealed in harrowing hospital CCTV footage of her parents’ desperate dash to try to save her.

Her mother, Phurithee, broke down yesterday as she told a Supreme Court jury how she rushed to save her daughter, but could not wake her.

Prosecutors allege 10-month-old Chloe suffered a series of fatal injuries while in the care of babysitter Ketapat Jenkins on December 3, 2010.

Ms Jenkins has pleaded not guilty to a single count of child homicide.

Giving evidence yesterday, through a Thai interpreter, Mrs Murphy said that when she arrived at Ms Jenkins’ home it was obvious something was not right with her daughter.

She said Ms Jenkins told her the baby was sleeping, and quizzed her about why she didn’t know Chloe had asthma. “I told her Chloe does not have asthma,” she said.

Mrs Murphy said it became quickly obvious that something was very wrong, and Chloe was rushed to hospital.

media_camera Babysitter Ketapat Jenkins, accused of killing Chloe Murphy.

Mr Murphy drove while she sat in the back seat trying to rouse Chloe.

She said Chloe’s eyes were closed, and the sound of laboured breathing stopped.

“I screamed at her because I wanted to wake her up.”

She denied shaking Chloe to try to wake her.

“I squeezed her leg and I called her name,” she said.

Arriving at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Mr Murphy rushed Chloe inside.

CCTV footage shows the Murphys running through the halls. Mr Murphy is seen cradling his 10-month old daughter, who he said was limp and unable to respond to anything.

“Her head was just flopping around. She had no neck control, she was completely unconscious,” he said.



“I could hear Chloe was really labouring for breath ... she was really struggling to breathe.”

Inside nurses quizzed the couple about what had happened, prompting Mrs Murphy to phone Ms Jenkins.

“She did not answer my questions. She tried to avoid answering questions,” she said.

She told the court she asked her, “What do you do to Chloe?”

Mrs Murphy said that after she told Ms Jenkins Chloe was in hospital because she had stopped breathing, Ms Jenkins admitted she had been in a similar state for five minutes before the Murphys arrived.

She said Ms Jenkins had told her Chloe had been crying a lot and it had sparked an asthma attack.

Mrs Murphy said Ms Jenkins then started criticising her parenting skills.

The court heard Mrs Murphy started yelling at Ms Jenkins before a nurse took the phone.

The trial, before Justice Lex Lasry, continues.

shannon.deery@news.com.au