An emergency room physician gave testimony in a London courtroom Friday, describing the critical condition of a toddler at the center of an ongoing manslaughter trial. The doctor, who was working in the emergency department at Strathroy Middlesex General Hospital, recounted the chaotic moments when the unresponsive 15-month-old Nathaniel McLellan was brought in on October 27, 2015.
Dr. Bryan Lemenchick told the court he became aware of the situation after hearing a sudden disturbance, recalling that the child’s mother was holding him while a nurse assisted nearby. He saw that Nathaniel had bruising on his forehead and appeared extremely lethargic, with a significantly diminished level of consciousness and no alertness.
According to his testimony, the child was also exhibiting signs consistent with seizures, leading him to suspect severe brain trauma. As part of the immediate response, medical staff placed a neck brace on the toddler.
The court heard that Nathaniel was later transferred to Victoria Hospital in London, with Dr. Lemenchick accompanying him in the ambulance. The child died there several days later due to blunt force trauma to the head.
Following a lengthy police investigation that spanned several years, authorities charged the child’s former babysitter, Meggin Van Hoof of Strathroy. The toddler had been in her Strathroy home daycare on the day he was taken to the hospital.
The 46-year-old Van Hoof, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of manslaughter. The trial, which began in September and was initially expected to last four weeks, has been adjourned now until April 29th, with additional court dates anticipated later in the summer and possibly into the fall.
Written by: C. Soares
