Nicholas Goodwin KC, instructed by Catriona Allan of Goodman Ray Solicitors, led James Norman of 42BR in P (A CHILD) (INTERFERENCE WITH MEDICAL EQUIPMENT) [2026] EWHC 2100 (Fam). They acted for the second respondent father.
The High Court considered whether a mother had deliberately interfered with her seriously ill child’s life-sustaining medical equipment, highlighting the careful distinction between compelling evidence, suspicion, and proof on the balance of probabilities.
The High Court conducted a fact-finding hearing concerning P, a young child with a serious life-limiting condition who remained hospital-dependent throughout the proceedings. The local authority alleged that the mother had deliberately interfered with P’s medication infusion lines, exaggerated aspects of his medical condition and treatment, and thereby caused or risked significant harm. Having reviewed extensive medical, nursing and expert evidence, Mr Justice Keehan found that the mother had deliberately cut P’s infusion line on 29 January 2025 and deliberately disconnected it on 4 February 2025. However, despite significant concerns, he declined to find that she was responsible for a further line disconnection on 1 November 2025, emphasising that findings of fact must be based on evidence rather than suspicion and that previous findings alone could not establish later allegations. No adverse findings were made against the father after the local authority withdrew its case against him.
