A NURSE has appeared in court charged with killing a seven-year-old boy whose vital equipment was allegedly switched off overnight.
James Dwerryhouse suffered brain damage as a result of cardiac arrest after the breathing device was turned off for almost three hours.
The youngster was found unresponsive in his bed at the private Portland Hospital in London in 2016.
Anuradha Bhupathiraju, 62, has now been charged with gross negligence manslaughter.
The nurse allegedly caused James' death by leaving his monitor turned off without a doctor's permission, Mail Online reports.
Bhupathiraju, who has more than three decades of experience, appeared at Westminster Magistrates' Court for a brief hearing.
Read more news
Vet, 31, ‘stabbed veterinary nurse, 34, to death’ in home
Nurse explains why she wrote ‘I am evil’ as she denies murdering 7 babies
She was bailed to return to Southwark Crown Court next month.
James had gone to the famous hospital for a colostomy bag operation when the horror unfolded.
The youngster had a number of health conditions, including needing to be fed through a tube, bowel problems and epilepsy.
He also had hearing and sight impairment.
Most read in The Sun
Loose Women star Kerry Katona breaks silence on Phillip Schofield after affair
Harry and Meghan to stop making royal-bashing shows & books after backlash
C4 axes huge show after eight series – leaving spin-off series in its place
Boy, 17, & girl, 12, die after 'major incident' off UK beach as man arrested
James required the vital equipment as he suffered from sleep apnoea, which can cause life-threatening stoppages in breathing.
But it was shut down for almost three hours overnight – causing a catastrophic brain injury.
James tragically died in a hospice when life support was withdrawn the following day.
His parents Marguerite and John previously launched legal action against the owners of the hospital, where Princesses Beatrice and Eugenie were born.
Mum Marguerite said at the time: "It has been heart-breaking. James had health issues and needed a lot of health support in his life but he was full of life, cheeky, funny, happy and occasionally mischievous, like all little boys.
"Only days earlier, he'd been to a summer club and he'd been chasing around, up and down the slides and having a great time. He wasn't a fragile boy at all, he wasn't poorly and he certainly wasn't a boy who was at risk of dying.
"Everybody loved him, from his school to those who supported his health. This was a routine operation, and the operation itself was a complete success.
"To then lose him simply because hospital staff haven't cared for him and checked on him as they should is something we cannot accept and never will."
Read More on The Sun
Shoppers go wild for Matalan’s ‘dress of the summer’ & it’s just £17
Mum issues warning over why you should never put ‘cute’ headbands on your baby
Source: Read Full Article
