Mother tells of frantic effort to save her baby's life after electrocution

A HYSTERICAL mother had to give her baby boy mouth-to-mouth when she found him lying lifeless on the floor after being electrocuted, a fatal accident inquiry has heard.

Claire Hughes discovered 21-month-old Liam Boyle unconscious in his toy room on 28 February, 2009.

The toddler is believed to have picked up a plug and cable with bare wires after it was left behind by a handyman who had fitted a new oven at their family home in Dryburn Avenue, Hillington.

It is alleged that the infant inserted the plug into a socket in his toy room and was electrocuted after touching the wires.

Ms Hughes, 32, tried to resuscitate her son while waiting for an ambulance, but learned that he was dead shortly after arriving at Glasgow's Southern General Hospital.

The fatal accident inquiry in to the death of the toddler yesterday heard a statement from depute fiscal Maureen McGovern on behalf of Ms Hughes at Glasgow Sheriff Court.

In it, Ms Hughes told how a 68-year-old handyman, Daniel Rough, and his assistant, Simon Burns, came to fit a new oven at her home.

She said she had supervised her young son in the living room while the work was being carried out in the kitchen.

The inquiry was told that she recalled seeing a plug on a couch before the workmen left, but did not realise that wires were exposed and never saw Liam handling it.

Ms Hughes said that after the men had left with her old oven, she went back to the kitchen and started sweeping up, and could hear Liam in his toy room "singing and muttering away to himself".

She later went into the room and discovered him lying beside the plug in the socket.

Ms Hughes said: "He was lying just the way he normally sleeps, on his front with his bottom in the air.

"At first I thought he was sleeping.

She added: "I took a step forward; it was at this point I saw a spot of blood on the floor at Liam's mouth."

She said: "I was hysterical. Liam's body felt lifeless. I gave him mouth-to-mouth."

Ms Hughes said she thought she felt a breath, but then realised it was her own.

She added that waiting for an ambulance had "seemed like an eternity".

The inquiry heard that after being taken to hospital, Ms Hughes learned that her son was dead.

She said: "The only time that I remember that day was 12:12pm.

"I remember this vividly, because this is when the doctor came and told me that Liam was dead."

The hearing was told that she never had any electrical equipment in Liam's toy room.

Mr Rough, a retired handyman, told the inquiry he had left the plug lying on the floor beside the old oven.He denied having put it on a couch.

He said the cable on the new oven was too short, and he noticed this when he took the old oven out from the wall.

The inquiry heard he disconnected the plug from the new oven, in the living room, and left it lying beside the old oven.

Mr Rough - who has no formal qualifications in electrical work - said he "assumed" his assistant had taken it away with the old oven.

The inquiry, before Sheriff Ian Miller, continues.