Schoolgirl, 13, left to die had bedroom door removed so she could hear mother ‘entertaining men’

A teenager who was left to die on the sofa while watching Tipping Point had her bedroom door removed so she could hear her mother having sex with random men, an inquiry has heard.

Mother Sharon Goldie, 49, thought her 13-year-old daughter was ‘exaggerating’ and just had a stomach bug so she refused to let her go to the hospital in Wishaw, Lanarkshire in 2018.

She left Robyn on the sofa to watch TV while she went to the pub but returned to find her unresponsive on the sofa. The mother sat outside drinking with a friend and later checked on her daughter who had stopped breathing. Robyn died after developing peritonitis and a perforated duodenal ulcer.

An inquiry into her death heard Goldie had been ‘entertaining men at home drunk’, some of whom behaved ‘inappropriately’ towards Robyn. 

Robyn’s bedroom door had also been removed and never replaced, with the schoolgirl suspected of having been exposed to her mother’s sexual activity.

Maggie Mellon, an independent social worker who compiled a report on the case, told the inquiry there was ‘disturbing’ evidence about what Robyn was experiencing.

Mellon, 70, said: ‘The biggest question was whether she could safely stay in her mother’s care and it was thought she could be made safe through advice and guidance.

‘There was some disturbing evidence being known such as that Robyn did not have a bedroom door which had been taken off by Sharon and had never been put back again.

‘Her mother had been entertaining men at home drunk and Robyn had been exposed to her mother’s sexual activity and there were adult men in the house behaving inappropriately towards Robyn in the home.’

Mellon also revealed Goldie told social workers that she did not want to look after Robyn following her return to live with her.

She added: ‘I’m conscious that she was very stressed and didn’t want to look after her because of the stress it was causing her.’

Mellon said she was unsure how much Goldie, who suffered a brain injury in the 1980s, was aware of how ill Robyn was before she died.

Mellon said: ‘I think Sharon might not have known how ill Robyn was because she was being told to be firm, have boundaries and be there for her daughter but I’m not sure how much Sharon understood and clearly she did not understand that Robyn was critically ill.’ 

Goldie was jailed for three years and six months in 2020 after admitting wilful ill treatment and neglect between July 2017 and July 2018. 

She also admitted failing to provide Robyn with adequate food, clothing or heating, hitting her and permitting her to smoke cannabis and drink alcohol.

She pleaded guilty to exposing her daughter to unhygienic living conditions including cat urine and cat faeces which led to her getting fleas.

The inquiry into Robyn’s death was called by Lord Advocate Dorothy Bain KC, after ruling the circumstances of Robyn’s death gave rise to ‘serious public concern’.

It will examine the circumstances in which Robyn died, to see what reasonable precautions could have been taken, and could be implemented in the future, to minimise the risk of other deaths in similar circumstances.

The inquiry will have particular focus on the interactions with social work services.

Procurator Fiscal Katrina Parkes, who leads on death investigations for COPFS, said: ‘The Lord Advocate considers that the death of Robyn Goldie occurred in circumstances giving rise to significant public concern and as such a discretionary Fatal Accident Inquiry should be held.

‘An FAI will allow a full public airing of all the available evidence at which interested parties will be represented. The evidence will be tested in a public setting and be the subject of an independent judicial determination.’

The inquiry heard Robyn had told social workers she had caught her mother engaging in sexual activity.

Goldie admitted wilful ill treatment and neglect of her daughter between July 2017 and July 2018 and was jailed for three years and six months in October 2020

The information had been passed on to staff at her school who had flagged it up as causing concern for her welfare.

The fatal accident inquiry at Hamilton Sheriff Court heard concern mounted about Robyn’s safety after she returned to Goldie’s care after staying with her grandmother for eight years.

The probe had earlier heard Goldie told Robyn not to report an alleged rape as it would lead to her being examined by doctors and having to go to court.

Hamilton Sheriff Court was told Goldie failed to disclose full details of the alleged attack despite being told to by council staff.

Social worker Brian McNott, 39, told the inquiry: ‘Robyn had made an allegation of rape and Sharon’s response to that I found to be really concerning.

‘I felt it was a really underwhelming response to something that her daughter had said she had gone through and she spoke Robyn down from seeking police intervention.

‘We had to direct Sharon to get Robyn a doctor’s appointment and we found out that she didn’t give full information in respect of the allegation of rape to the doctor.

‘That was a real concern of her ability to make sure Robyn was safe and to get her medical intervention if required.’

McNott said Goldie and Robyn had ‘significant challenges’ living together after she had returned from staying with her gran for eight years.

He added there was a ‘lack of boundaries’ and they had a ‘sister relationship’ instead of mother and daughter.

He said: ‘Robyn and Sharon had significant challenges living together and there were a number of police concerns about them.

‘We felt we had a handle on that but although it was challenging for all involved, there was a significant turning point at the way the rape allegation was handled by Sharon.

‘There was also verbal conflict, physical conflict and that led to a really challenging environment for Robyn to live in at the time.’

McNott added: ‘This case in particular has had an impact on me that will last my entire life.’

The inquiry before Sheriff Linda Nicolson continues.