A man who a judge ruled had probably sexually assaulted his 13-month-old daughter before her death has been smuggled into court with a police escort ahead of him giving evidence at her inquest.
Paul Worthington scurried in through the back door of County Hall in Kendal, shielded by police officers and pursued by press photographers and reporters.
The 49-year-old is due to appear as the main witness in the second inquest into the death of Poppi, who collapsed suddenly at her Barrow-in-Furness home on December 12 2012.
Poppi Worthington (Family Handout/PA)
Staff at the court also taped paper over the windows of the building to stop anyone seeing in.
Mr Worthington has been in hiding since January 2016 when family court judge Mr Justice Peter Jackson, now Lord Justice Peter Jackson, made public his conclusion that he probably sexually assaulted his toddler daughter before her collapse.
He said Poppi’s “significant bleeding” within 15 minutes of the 999 call made from the family home could only be sensibly explained as the result of penetrative trauma.
A police investigation launched after Poppi’s death was botched by Cumbria Police, with vital evidence discarded and witnesses not interviewed until months later.
Mr Worthington strenuously denies any wrongdoing and has never been charged with any offence.
Windows at Kendal County Hall are covered up ahead of the arrival of Poppi Worthington’s father (Owen Humphreys/PA)
The second inquest was ordered after the controversial first hearing, held by a different coroner, was shrouded in secrecy and lasted just seven minutes.
Wednesday’s hearing was expected to begin with legal argument between lawyers for the press and lawyers for Mr Worthington over whether he will give evidence from behind a screen.
Earlier the inquest, which began on Monday, heard a harrowing 999 call from the girl’s mother, who cannot be named for legal reasons, as her daughter lay dying.
This fresh inquest was ordered by the High Court after the controversial first hearing in 2014, held by a different coroner, was shrouded in secrecy with Poppi listed as “a child aged 13 months”.
Shortly before 6am on the day of her death, Mr Worthington, who had put Poppi in his bed with him, went downstairs with her lifeless body and emergency services were called.
Poppi Worthington’s father, Paul Worthington, arrives at Kendal County Hall (Owen Humphreys/PA)
Little over an hour later, at 7.07am, Poppi was pronounced dead at Furness General Hospital, just a day after she had taken her first two steps.
Poppi’s mother was frequently visibly distressed as she gave evidence earlier this week, describing her relationship with the toddler’s father as “up and down”.
She described her daughter as “very alive, bubbly”.
“You knew she was there, there was no missing her,” she said.
The botched police investigation meant that the cause of Poppi’s death has remained “unascertained”.
The current inquest, presided over by senior coroner for Cumbria David Roberts, is scheduled to last up to four weeks.
A Cumbria Constabulary spokesman said: “Cumbria Constabulary this morning assisted in the arrival of Paul Worthington to Kendal County Hall, where he is due to give evidence at an inquest.
“Security arrangements have been in place for Mr Worthington following threats made towards him. To ensure Mr Worthington’s safe arrival, a number of police resources were in place.”
Before any evidence was heard and Mr Worthington was called, his lawyers applied for permission from the coroner for him to give evidence from behind a screen, so he cannot be seen either by the public, though no-one was present in the gallery, or members of the media, of whom 22 were seated on the press benches.
Currently two seats behind a desk from where witnesses give evidence is shielded from most of the courtroom by a 7ft (2m) screen partition and the desk is visible only from part of the court.
Paul Clark, representing Mr Worthington, said: “He has been in a long-term position of great vulnerability and risk and he’s been in a long-term position of witness protection, whereby currently his appearance and location is not known.
“There are photos of Mr Worthington online but what is not known to the public is currently his location but also his current appearance.
“In this case it has been apparent throughout that there’s a real risk to Mr Worthington’s life, and even if not at a risk of death, risk of serious mistreatment and clearly substantial concerns outside these tangible risks and substantial concerns on Mr Worthington’s right to private life that has already been jeopardised, very, very substantially indeed.”
Mr Clark cited a headline on an article in the Daily Mail referring to Mr Worthington being “Castrated” and a second article in the Sun which carried the words “cheating justice” and a comment from a member of the public below expressing the hope that Mr Worthington would be killed during the inquest proceedings.
He suggested that the public and “the media themselves sometimes” were unable to make the distinction between someone accused of something and someone convicted of something.
Mr Clark said the press’s rights were there for them to report in good faith and accurately, but he cited what he claimed were errors in the reporting of the evidence heard in the inquest on Tuesday in Wednesday’s newspapers.
He said a precautionary approach was needed and screening for Mr Worthington was “plainly justified”.
It is unclear whether Mr Worthington is formally in a witness protection programme or being given protection as a witness for the inquest hearing. Meanwhile, Cumbria Police have been asked to clarify the position.
But Jude Bunting, representing the media, said the application for screens was robustly rejected by the various organisations he represented and the submission was “desperate stuff” based on mere “vague assertion”.
Mr Bunting said the fundamental principle is one of open justice, so what happens in courts is not hidden from the public and that includes the reporting of the identity of witnesses, seeing them and hearing them.
And he said the principle of open justice should only be departed from when strictly necessary.
He said any risk to a witness had to be “real and immediate” and the comment made below the Sun article, expressing the hope that Mr Worthington would be killed, was the “sort of absurd and extreme comment that’s made on social media, day in and day out”.
“Social media is a Wild West where people indulge in pub talk,” he added.
Mr Bunting said the comment was made by a woman, using her own name – and inquired whether, if it was to be taken seriously, had the police investigated?
Gillian Irving QC, representing Poppi’s mother, who was in court, supported the media’s position and said Mr Worthington should be visible to everyone.
She added: “She’s waited almost five years for this hearing, and the notion that she in some way should be deprived of hearing what is probably the last formal occasion where Mr Worthington gives evidence is unsatisfactory in the extreme.”
Following legal submissions over several hours Mr Roberts ruled in favour of the press.
He directed that Mr Worthington must give evidence in court in view of the press but will be screened from anyone watching in the public gallery.
Mr Roberts said: “I fully realise anyone accused as he was effectively in that judgment is going to feel under pressure from social media and the public and is going to fear reprisal. It is an opportunity for him to put his case, as it were. The public interest in this case is high.
“I can’t say what may happen in the future but we know the Crown Prosecution Service have on a number of occasions indicated they don’t intend to pursue matters so it may be this is the best opportunity for Mr Worthington to express himself in a public arena.
“Mr Worthington has an opportunity in these proceedings to give me his side of events, tell me what happened and answer questions from other people, including his own legal team.”
Mr Roberts continued: “The press in this respect are the eyes and ears of the nation, 65 million people can’t come to Kendal to hear the evidence and we in this country rely on the press to faithfully, carefully and properly report proceedings and inform the public on what goes on. That is part of an open, free society.”