A “PLAYFUL” girl died falling into a pond while visiting her family’s horses on a farm, an inquest heard.
Masie Elizabeth Lomax-Newton was in the water for around 15 minutes after she was last seen eating chocolate on a bench.
Her mum Emma Lomax-Newton and gran Cindy Molyneux, who were with the two-year-old, previously admitted child neglect.
The inquest was told Masie regularly visited Crab Fold Farm in Atherton, Greater Manchester, to visit her family’s six horses.
A fence had been secured the pond which “looked secure”, the court heard.
On November 8, 2021, Molyneux went looking for Masie after realising she had been missing for ten minutes.
CCTV showed the youngster leaving the bench she was sat on and entering the area where the pond was before falling in.
She had been unsupervised for over 30 minutes before her gran found her and began administering CPR.
Masie was then rushed to hospital where medics continued CPR for an hour and 45 minutes and restarted the youngster’s heart.
Masie was put on a breathing tube before being transferred to the Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital for more specialist treatment.
The tube was removed on November 23 but her cognitive ability was affected and plans were made to take Masie to a hospice.
Tragically she passed away eight days later from bronchopneumonia, which led to global hypoxic brain injury as a result of drowning.
Assistant Coroner Mike Pemberton said Masie was “clearly a much-loved child”.
He found she accidentally fell into the pond while unsupervised and said neglect contributed to her death but not the care she received.
The coroner added: “I want to pass my deepest condolences to all member of the family, and I can’t imagine what you are going through.
“This is a tragic case.”
Both Lomax-Newton and Molyneux were handed a 12-month community order and 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement days.
Speaking after the inquest, Masie’s dad said: “She was playful and happy, and quite independent.
“It has affected us quite a lot.
“It was quite hard with everything going on with the courts.
“When you look back, we wish we could have done more.
“We have pictures of her, and our children point and ask about her.”
Masie’s grandad Charles Lomax-Newton said: “I saw Masie from when she was a baby, and she was never ever neglected, and she had everything a little girl could ever want.
“They spent all their time looking after the children and the animals.
“She would stay with me, and I used to read to her with the dogs.
“The last week of her life I used to go every evening, and she could listen to me.
“She will always be in my heart, and there is a hole in my heart that will never be filled due to the loss.”
