Baby died after being thrown from car seat in crash after mother and pal ‘drank wine at the beach’ as he was ‘not strapped in properly’, court hears

A seven-month-old baby died in a car crash after his mother and her friend drove home from Clacton beach after ‘relaxing’ and drinking wine, a court heard. 

Prosecutor Mr Alex Stein told Chelmsford Crown Court that Harry Kiely had not been ‘properly’ strapped into the car seat during the drive from the beach to his grandma’s house. 

The baby boy was subsequently flung from the seat and died of ‘unsurvivable’ injuries sustained from the crash on July 13, 2022. 

His mother, Morgan Kiely had been drinking rosé on the beach with her friend, Stevie Steel.

The two women planned to drop Harry at Ms Kiely’s mum’s house before heading to Wetherspoons. 

Harry was sitting in a child seat in the back of the car behind his mother while Ms Steel drove. 

Mr Stein told the court: ‘That car seat had not been properly strapped in and more significantly he [Harry] had not been strapped into the seat itself properly.’

He explained that Ms Steel was distracted and hit a parked car, the car ended up on its roof and Harry was ‘thrown or fell’ out the car window.

Harry Kiely (pictured) died of ‘unsurvivable’ injuries sustained from a car crash on July 13, 2022

Morgan Kiely had been drinking rosé on Clacton beach (pictured) with her friend, Stevie Steel (file image)

Mr Stein said the girls were ‘left hanging upside down, held in by their seatbelts’. 

The court was told that Ms Steel previously admitted causing death by dangerous driving by due care while over the prescribed limit. 

Jurors were told there was ‘no suggestion’ that the car had been speeding.

‘He landed on the tarmac and as a young infant he had no way of protecting himself,’ Mr Stein added. ‘He suffered a devastating skull fracture. It’s a very, very sad case.’ 

An Isofix Maxi-Cosi car seat and base had initially been installed in Kiely’s grandmother’s car.

The car seat without the base was placed in Ms Steel’s car when she picked up Ms Kiely and Harry at around 3pm on July 13, the court heard. 

Before arriving at the beach, the friends stopped at Aldi.

Ms Kiely, who was 19 at the time, bought two bottles of wine and Ms Steel bought one, they were described as being ‘just a bit tipsy and happy’.

The two women planned to drop Harry at Ms Kiely’s mum’s house before heading to Wetherspoons. Pictured: Clacton-on-Sea (file image)

While at the beach, Ms Steel saw her ex-boyfriend Mitchell Bassett, who offered them a lift to the pub – but they chose to drive themselves.  

According to Essex Live, Chelmsford Crown Court heard that Ms Kiely ‘loved her child’ and there is ‘no evidence to suggest that she was anything other than a loving and caring mother’ to Harry. 

Prosecutor Mr Stein said: ‘Whatever happened that day she certainly did not mean for it to happen.’

A 999 call made to emergency services after the collision was played to jurors. 

Ms Kiely appeared to wipe her eyes and cry in the courtroom dock while the audio was played.

After hearing the collision, neighbours rushed to the scene, including a retired paediatric nurse who spoke to the 999 call handler and provided some of the immediate care towards Harry.

Ms Kiely was said to have been heard saying ‘my baby, my baby, is my baby okay’. 

Emergency services attended but Harry was declared dead at just after 9pm on July 13.

Mr Stein said: ‘We will anticipate that she [Kiely] thought she had secured Harry properly. I’m sure that any of you can appreciate that this would be very difficult for her.

‘No parent would want to admit to themselves that they were the cause of their own child’s death, but the evidence we say is quite clear that she failed to look after Harry properly that day.’

Kiely has been accused of manslaughter by gross negligence. She denies the charge. The trial is ongoing.