Mother bored with pregnancy 'killed her unborn twins' - then blamed the midwife
A mother bored with waiting in hospital for her twins to be born killed them with an injection she thought would induce labour, a court heard.
Mother-of-five Faiso Sahil, 35, then blamed a midwife for the tragedy, it was claimed.
Sahil was fed up with being pregnant, and 'impatient' with hospital life because she disliked the food, the court was told.
So the Somalian, who herself had limited training as a midwife, injected herself with Syntometrine to bring on the birth, it is claimed.
Syntometrine is a drug used to reduce the risk of haemorrhaging from the placenta during the delivery.
The twins - a boy and a girl - were stillborn soon after and Sahil told doctors at Southmead Hospital in Bristol that Caroline Randall, a 'senior and experienced' midwife, had adminstered the jab, the jury was told.
Miss Randall was arrested, but when Sahil was interviewed by police she attempted to withdraw the accusation against her and was charged with perverting the course of justice.
Opening the case, prosecutor Martin Steen said: 'Drugs are used in Somalia for assisting in delivery by encouraging contractions.
'(Sahil) wanted to have those twins. She wanted them born alive and healthy. This was a woman who wanted those two children delivered as soon as possible.'
Bristol Crown Court heard that on March 27, 2007, Sahil, who was due to give birth on May 5, suggested her twins be induced but had her request turned down. On April 9 she was seen by a doctor who refused her second request to be induced or have a Caesarean section.
The next day she was admitted to the maternity ward under the care of Miss Randall.
It is alleged that, in an attempt to speed up the birth, Sahil, of Southmead, repeatedly claimed she was having painful contractions when she was not in labour, before injecting herself with the drug in the early hours of April 11.
Mr Steen said: 'Sadly, it resulted in a tragic end. The twins had died inside her prior to 8am.'
Miss Randall told the court: 'She wanted to be in labour. That was overriding everything else.'
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Midwife Caroline Randall at Bristol Crown Court
When Miss Randall finished her shift at 8am, the midwife who took over was unable to detect the twins' heartbeats.
Mr Steen said: 'She [Sahil] was told at 12 o'clock that a sample of blood would identify how it was her children had died - and there had been an injection of Syntometrine.
'At 1pm she spoke to a doctor and she said she had been administered Syntometrine by her midwife, Caroline Randall.
'The Crown says that was false, it was blame put on Caroline Randall by Faiso Sahil to explain away the death of her children.'
Miss Randall said all drugs at the maternity unit were kept under lock and key except for Syntometrine, vitamin K and lignocaine, a local anaesthetic.
Yesterday a consultant at the maternity unit, Simon Grant, told the court Sahil asked to see him and claimed she had called for the midwife at 2.30am.
He added: 'She went on to say she was in pain but the midwife said she was not in labour. So she told her she wanted to go home.
'She then said the midwife said she would give her something for the labour and took two bottles out from a trolley. She subsequently went on to say that the midwife had drawn the contents of these two bottles and injected them intravenously into her left hand.
'I asked her if she was sure and when she confirmed I was quite surprised.
'Initially I explained that it would be very unlikely the midwife would administer [Syntometrine] for a variety of reasons. But she was adamant it had happened.'
He added that Syntometrine is only used when labour is 'well under way' as it cuts the blood supply to the placenta, dramatically reducing oxygen. The drug would have killed the twins in 20 to 60 minutes.
Gynaecologist Shehrazad Halawa said Sahil looked 'tearful and scared' when she was told her twins had died.
Sahil denies one count of perverting the course of justice. The trial continues.
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