A NURSERY worker who allegedly punched, grabbed and pinched 23 babies would get “moody” if she couldn’t vape at work, a court heard.
Roksana Lecka allegedly left the children with scratches to their faces and necks and pinch marks on their inner legs and stomachs.
Roksana Lecka is accused of attacking 23 babies at a nursery[/caption]
She told a court she would be moody if she could not vape at work[/caption]
The 22-year-old is accused of “badly harming” the tots over a six month period while working at the Riverside Nursery in Twickenham, South West London.
The nursery, which charges up to £1,900 a month to look after children aged between 18 months and two years, follows the Montessori method of teaching.
Lecka told Kingston Crown Court how she would “smoke cannabis quite regularly with my boyfriend”, Mail Online reports.
She said: “At that time I was really addicted to vapes, I would smoke two little crystal disposables a day.
“I was vaping in nursery. Because if I did not smoke I would get agitated and fed up. I couldn’t keep asking to go to the toilet. Any opportunity I would take. I would be really moody and fed up.
‘It would be a couple of puffs and then I’d put it away… I would put it in my bra.”
She also told the court how she was “so tired” at the time and was not getting any sleep.
Lecka claimed she was “addicted” to her boyfriend so was “over-prioritising” him.
Her lawyer also claimed she was “worn out, had bad period pains, was short of energy, she was not her normally bubbly self”.
But prosecutor Tracy Ayling KC told jurors that smoking cannabis and not being able to vape were “excuses” for the alleged offences.
She added: “It is clear her actions are deliberate or at the very last careless, but on most occasions we say deliberate.
“There are, of course, some clips where Ms Lecka – as we put it – keeps going back for more.”
Jurors have been told 23 of the children were harmed at the nursery, while a 24th count of child cruelty refers to an offence that allegedly took place before Lecka started.
The court also heard how there were no apparent safeguarding issues when Lecka was hired.
But last summer, CCTV of the baby room appeared to show the worker pinch a child – leaving them with red marks, it was said.
In footage played to the court, Lecka can also apparently be seen pinching the legs, back and under arm of a girl who can be seen crying.
Further footage allegedly showed her pinching the side of a girl’s face and grabbing her hair.
Lecka can be seen vaping in another clip before she took a baby from a crib and pinched and punched her side, jurors heard.
One alleged victim was sat at a table when Lecka repeatedly pinched her – causing the girl to cry, it was said.
She then allegedly grabbed the girl by the arm and pulled her hair so her head made contact with the table.
The court heard Lecka was “looking around” at other members of staff to see who was “watching when these assaults occur”.
One colleague reported seeing the worker assault a boy by pinching his legs – leading the headteacher to check CCTV.
Jurors were told the footage showed Lecka also pinching his nose, body, wrist, and mouth.
Police trawled through a month’s worth of CCTV and discovered 23 babies had been “badly treated in some way”, it was said.
Lecka was arrested on July 5 last year and said in a prepared statement: “I deny assaulting any children at the Riverside Nursery…I went into work that day and had a normal day. There were no accidents where any child seemed hurt.
“We have procedures for the handling of the children, which I adhered to. I am unaware how any injury to these children were caused.”
Lecka has admitted two charges of child cruelty but denies 21 further offences.
The trial continues.
Lecka has denied 21 child cruelty offences[/caption]
The offences are said to have taken place at Riverside Nursery in Twickenham[/caption]
