The parents of a baby girl who was killed by a nursery worker in Stockport have paid tribute to their “wonderful daughter”.
Genevieve Meehan was killed at Tiny Toes nursery, in the Cheadle Hulme area of Stockport, on 9 May 2022, and a 37-year-old woman, Kate Roughley, from Heaton Norris – who was the deputy manager at the nursery – has now been found guilty of manslaughter, according to Greater Manchester Police (GMP).
Norris was found guilty following a four-week trial at Manchester Crown Court, and her sentencing is due to take place tomorrow (Wednesday 22 May).
Following Norris’ verdict, and ahead of the sentencing this week, Genevieve’s family have now paid an emotional tribute the baby who “embraced every day” and “loved life”.
The tribute, as shared by GMP, yesterday reads in full: “It has been just over two years since our beautiful and wonderful daughter’s life was taken from her. Genevieve’s loss has destroyed our family. We grieve for her every day. We long desperately to see her smile, hear her laugh and feel her warm embrace. Her absence is a physical and emotional wound that will never heal.
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Parents of baby Genevieve Meehan killed at Stockport nursery pay tribute after woman found guilty / Credit: GMP
“Genevieve wasn’t just a baby, she was a person. She loved to laugh, to play with her tambourine, to eat Spaghetti Bolognese and to be with her big sister. She was kind, affectionate, independent and mischievous. She was fascinated with the world and everything in it. She embraced every day. She loved life and we loved her instantly.
“We were amazed every day watching her grow and develop. She was such a strong person, bright and talented. To be in her presence was such joy.
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“We will never accept the cruelty of her life being taken away. That we will not get to hear her speak her first words or watch her grow up is impossible to comprehend. Genevieve could have done anything she wanted to. She had her whole life to live and was loved so dearly by her family.
#TRIBUTE | Family of baby Genevieve pay tribute to their little girl.
"It has been just over two years since our beautiful and wonderful daughter’s life was taken from her. Genevieve’s loss has destroyed our family. We grieve for her every day."https://t.co/zEFWZunW3Apic.twitter.com/50OrdYGQOF
— Greater Manchester Police (@gmpolice) May 20, 2024
“We grieve for what we do not have. Words cannot adequately convey how much we miss Genevieve. We are so desperate for her to be in our arms as she should be and watching her put on her school uniform in September when she would have started pre-school. Instead, we are here in a place we could never have imagined when we took her to nursery that day on 9 May where she was meant to be safe and cared for. The pain of her loss is beyond any measure.
“We grieve for everything Genevieve has lost. Her life, that was so full of wonder and promise, was taken from her.”
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Her parents also took a moment to thank the police for their “dedication to getting justice for Genevieve”, and for their “professionalism” and “compassion”, as well as thanking the CPS and legal team who have “fought” for their daughter and their family.
“Our beautiful daughter deserves to be remembered for the wonderful person she is, not the nature of her death,” the tribute concludes.
“She deserves to have a legacy so that her life can inspire others, and as a family, we will work tirelessly to ensure she has the legacy she deserves.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Radcliffe man, 76, jailed after sexually abusing young teenage girls more than 40 years ago
Emily Sergeant
A man who sexually abused two teenage girls more than 40 years ago has been put behind bars.
After two brave women came forward and disclosed to Greater Manchester Police (GMP) the abuse they endured more than four decades ago, Kenneth Goodman, of Greendale Drive in Radcliffe, was found guilty of four counts of indecent assault on a girl under 14 years, and three counts of gross indecency with a girl also under the age of 14.
Both victims knew Goodman in a ‘professional capacity’, police explained, and were in their early teenage years at the time of the abuse.
The first survivor approached GMP in 2018 to report the abuse Goodman subjected her to, and then this subsequent investigation then led officers to identifying a second survivor who confirmed she had been in a sexual relationship with Goodman as a teenager.
The first woman was subjected to abuse on numerous occasions when she was around Goodman – with him making inappropriate comments to her and coercing her into sexual activity when they were alone together.
The second woman was groomed over a period of around three years, with Goodman initially manipulating her at the age of 12 into being in a relationship with him and engaging in sexual activity.
Goodman told the victim that as she had turned 13, they could ‘go further with their intimacy’, before the abuse continued until around the time the victim was 15.
Following his arrest in 2019, Goodman denied the offences, but a jury found him guilty at a trial in March earlier this year.
He will serve six years in prison and has been placed on the sex offender’s register for life.
Speaking following the sentencing, Detective Sergeant Jonathan McGregor, from GMP’s Serious Crime Division, said: “This has been an ongoing investigation and the victims have shown incredible strength and patience throughout the process.
“I would firstly like to express my gratitude to them, as their support during this investigation has led to the conviction and sentencing of Goodman.
“This was an awful case about abuse of power. Goodman took advantage of these women from such a young age, and they have carried this with them since.
“I hope this sentence can now provide them with a sense of comfort and reassurance that no matter how long it has been, we will always take reports of this nature seriously, and we will do everything we can to ensure perpetrators see justice.”
Featured Image – GMP
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Local music student issues appeal over stolen saxophones just months after graduation
Danny Jones
A local music student has issued a heartbreaking appeal after two of his saxophones, one of which possessed a deep sentimental attachment, were stolen in Manchester not long after graduating from his degree.
Conor Parker-Delves, who only recently finished his undergrad degree at the Royal Northern College of Music, has dreams of performing professionally, but a sad twist of fate now means that he’s currently without the key tool he needs to make a living.
Having worked so hard up to this point in completing his studies, the 22-year-old was left gutted when the pair of extremely valuable instruments were stolen from his car after parking it in the Longsight area.
The still green graduate believes the items were originally kept at an address just south of Whitworth Park, along with some of his other stolen belongings, which he says were nearly resold on the high street in Moss Side.
Credit: Handouts (via Conor Parker-Delves)
What’s more is that one of these saxes belonged to his late granddad on his mother’s side, who sadly died when he was very young, and he’s been proudly playing it throughout his childhood. A gut-wrenching loss not just for him but for his family.
Speaking to The Manc, he said: “I have played on that sax ever since his passing and have kept the legacy alive. Losing this sax means losing him, and I am going to fight against this as hard as I can for as long as I can.”
A worn silver Selmer Mark VI alto saxophone (serial number: 240580) and a tenor sax of the same brand (SN: 91928) are estimated to be worth a combined £12,000 – funds a fresh graduate like Conor simply doesn’t have.
Given the connection to his grandad, it’s safe to say that he’s not ready to give up and say goodbye to the priceless heirloom, and being stuck without any means of playing is just cruel.
Unfortunately, Greater Manchester Police have already closed the case despite a “promising lead” that looks to have been exhausted, and now he’s been left with no other option than to issue a renewed appeal to the public.
It may only be a slim chance, but the London-born aspiring musician is hoping that the woodwind duo can be recovered, acknowledging that it is “much easier for the saxes to be handed in if they are come across” rather than be replaced.
Things are hard enough for artists these days as it is, especially those who have already spent their time and money uprooting their lives and moving to a big new city like Manchester.
We encourage anyone with any potentially useful information to get in touch and/or report to GMP online, via the non-emergency 101 number, or get in touch with Crimestoppers anonymously.
Fingers crossed we can get the tools of Conor’s craft and his grandfather’s before him back safe and sound – can you help?
Emily Sergeant -
21st May 2024 
