Former midwife Lisa Barrett will not give evidence in homebirth deaths trial

A former midwife will not give evidence in her trial over the deaths of two babies delivered during homebirths she oversaw.

• Barrett tells mother she “did all she could” secret recording
• Barrett downplayed high-risk homebirth dangers, court hears
• Barrett pleads not guilty to two counts of manslaughter

A former midwife charged over the homebirth deaths of two babies will not give evidence in her trial, an Adelaide court has heard.

The prosecution case against Lisa Jane Barrett, 52, wound up today, with both parties to give closing addresses by the end of the week.

Barrett’s counsel, Scott Henchcliffe SC, told the Supreme Court that no defence witnesses would be called.

Barrett has pleaded not guilty to two counts of manslaughter over the deaths of Tully Kavanagh in 2011 and another baby boy in 2012.

Lisa Barrett. Picture: AAP Image/David Mariuz

During the trial, Tully’s mother, Sarah Kerr, told the court she had given birth to the first of twins, a girl, when Tully’s heart rate began to plummet.

Ms Kerr said she continuously asked Barrett whether she needed to go to hospital but “that advice had not been provided”.

She eventually delivered Tully squatted in the passenger seat of a car before she and Barrett began to resuscitate him.

Tully was revived in hospital and taken to intensive care but his life support was turned off the next day.

Ms Kerr said in the hours following Tully’s death Barrett had told the couple not to speak to police about what happened.

The second baby’s mother, who also gave evidence, said Barrett assured her throughout her pregnancy that her unborn baby was positioned head down.

The woman told the court she did not find out the baby was in the breech position until she was in labour and Barrett had felt toes during an examination.

“No concerns were raised,” the mother said, adding: “There were no explanations, no information given, no recommendations.”

The woman said she didn’t realise the baby was “very, very, very not OK” after the birth, but Barrett and a friend began resuscitating him.

As paramedics later worked on the child, Barrett was standing in the kitchen and, at one point, made a gesture drawing her hand across her throat from one side to the other.

The court heard Barrett told the woman “we have to get our story straight”.

An MRI revealed the boy’s prognosis was extremely poor and his life support was turned off two days after his birth.

The trial is being heard before Justice Ann Vanstone.