sleeping the night in a 10 × 11 foot cell.
She spent both days protesting her innocence, never once admitting any responsibility, totally denying she was in any way to blame. In someinstances she insisted she had not even been present when particular children had suffered unexplained relapses on her ward; it was always someone else.
Her calmness under questioning surprised Supt Clifton and his team. It was the first time in her life that the quietly spoken village girl had ever been locked up by police and they were astonished that she could remain so cool, with no sign of tears or nerves. One policeman said: ‘You would have thought she was on a Sunday School outing. There was no reaction from her. It was more a case of her saying, “Can I have something to read?”
‘You would have thought she had booked into the Ritz for a holiday.’
He added: ‘Being kept in a police cell is a very demeaning experience but she seemed to just take it in her stride.’
Nurse Beverley Gail Allitt was released on police bail the following evening and sent home on extended leave by the hospital at the suggestion of the police.
8.    Beverley â the Godmother
The joy of having surviving twin Katie back from the dead sent a welcome surge of hope into the lives of Sue and Peter Phillips. Determined to look now to a brighter future, and totally unaware of the police investigation at the hospital, they asked Nurse Beverley Allitt if she would agree to be Katieâs godmother.
Peter explained: âWe were so pleased and happy with what sheâd done. Weâd seen how her quick thinking probably saved Katie. We had seen her rushing from the room at the hospital, holding Katie in her arms, shouting for the âcrash teamâ, when she discovered she had stopped breathing. We thought that, if she hadnât have been there, Katie would have died. What sheâd done was wonderful. Why shouldnât the girl, who saved her life, become her godmother?â
Sue said: âWe asked Bev at the hospital, on Katieâs first day back from Nottingham, if she would consider becoming her godmother. She said, âYes,â without a second thought. She seemed to be overjoyed at the prospect.â
Allitt was so pleased that she went shopping for her little goddaughter and bought her a charming baby-gro.
Sue said: âKatie came home from hospital for the day on Friday, 10 May. I remember it because it was a glorious, sunny spring day which was so warm we were able to sit out in the garden.
âI also remember it because it was the first time that Bev came to our house. We hadnât expected her, but she arrived about 3pm, still dressed in her blue check nursesâ uniform because she had just come off duty.
âWe were all sitting out in the garden and Peter had even put up the big sun umbrella. Katie was in her buggy under the umbrella and Bev brought the present for her. Bev was fine. She was happy, smiling and we were pleased to see her. She was, after all, going to be Katieâs godmother. My mum and dad were here too and, like us, they were delighted sheâd made the effort to come.â
Someone made her a cup of tea and, later, she sipped a cold drink with them as she stayed for the remainder of the sunny afternoon.
Sue recalls: âWe were still a bit nervous about Katieâs condition and it felt comforting to have a nurse with us. I was constantly going up to the buggy just to make sure she was all right. She still had the Apnia Alarm fitted to her chest, that was with her all the time, but it still felt right to check.
âI remember talking to Bev about it and she was very reassuring. She said she was sure we had nothing to worry about. Katie was going to be fine.â
Sue still couldnât manage to cope with Katie being at home permanently, so the hospital allowed her to take her baby back at night to sleep in Ward Four where she continued her stay as a part-time
She spent both days protesting her innocence, never once admitting any responsibility, totally denying she was in any way to blame. In someinstances she insisted she had not even been present when particular children had suffered unexplained relapses on her ward; it was always someone else.
Her calmness under questioning surprised Supt Clifton and his team. It was the first time in her life that the quietly spoken village girl had ever been locked up by police and they were astonished that she could remain so cool, with no sign of tears or nerves. One policeman said: ‘You would have thought she was on a Sunday School outing. There was no reaction from her. It was more a case of her saying, “Can I have something to read?”
‘You would have thought she had booked into the Ritz for a holiday.’
He added: ‘Being kept in a police cell is a very demeaning experience but she seemed to just take it in her stride.’
Nurse Beverley Gail Allitt was released on police bail the following evening and sent home on extended leave by the hospital at the suggestion of the police.
8.    Beverley â the Godmother
The joy of having surviving twin Katie back from the dead sent a welcome surge of hope into the lives of Sue and Peter Phillips. Determined to look now to a brighter future, and totally unaware of the police investigation at the hospital, they asked Nurse Beverley Allitt if she would agree to be Katieâs godmother.
Peter explained: âWe were so pleased and happy with what sheâd done. Weâd seen how her quick thinking probably saved Katie. We had seen her rushing from the room at the hospital, holding Katie in her arms, shouting for the âcrash teamâ, when she discovered she had stopped breathing. We thought that, if she hadnât have been there, Katie would have died. What sheâd done was wonderful. Why shouldnât the girl, who saved her life, become her godmother?â
Sue said: âWe asked Bev at the hospital, on Katieâs first day back from Nottingham, if she would consider becoming her godmother. She said, âYes,â without a second thought. She seemed to be overjoyed at the prospect.â
Allitt was so pleased that she went shopping for her little goddaughter and bought her a charming baby-gro.
Sue said: âKatie came home from hospital for the day on Friday, 10 May. I remember it because it was a glorious, sunny spring day which was so warm we were able to sit out in the garden.
âI also remember it because it was the first time that Bev came to our house. We hadnât expected her, but she arrived about 3pm, still dressed in her blue check nursesâ uniform because she had just come off duty.
âWe were all sitting out in the garden and Peter had even put up the big sun umbrella. Katie was in her buggy under the umbrella and Bev brought the present for her. Bev was fine. She was happy, smiling and we were pleased to see her. She was, after all, going to be Katieâs godmother. My mum and dad were here too and, like us, they were delighted sheâd made the effort to come.â
Someone made her a cup of tea and, later, she sipped a cold drink with them as she stayed for the remainder of the sunny afternoon.
Sue recalls: âWe were still a bit nervous about Katieâs condition and it felt comforting to have a nurse with us. I was constantly going up to the buggy just to make sure she was all right. She still had the Apnia Alarm fitted to her chest, that was with her all the time, but it still felt right to check.
âI remember talking to Bev about it and she was very reassuring. She said she was sure we had nothing to worry about. Katie was going to be fine.â
Sue still couldnât manage to cope with Katie being at home permanently, so the hospital allowed her to take her baby back at night to sleep in Ward Four where she continued her stay as a part-time
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