Defense suggests mother is to blame for death of 15-month-old at manslaughter trial

Mother denies she did anything wrong to cause her child’s death, but defense says she’s deflecting blame. CTV London’s Nick Paparella reports.

During the ongoing manslaughter trial, looking into the death of a toddler, the defense suggested the mother is to blame in the incident.

Rose Van De Wiele, the mother of Nathaniel McLellan spent a total of eight days on the stand testifying at trial of the woman who babysat her 15-month-old son.

Seven of the days were under cross-examination from defense lawyer Geoff Snow. As he wrapped up, Snow pointed the finger at Van De Wiele suggesting that she caused the head injury that led to the death of the boy in October 2015.

Snow said that after the child was struck by a steel door on the night before being dropped off at the home of the babysitter Meggin Van Hoof, 46 of Strathroy, the mother was trying to deflect the blame to the accused and she responded, “Meggin told me he fell and hit his head with her.”

Then the defense suggested that Van De Wiele was trying to influence police investigators and doctors by making the accused look guilty,and she said, “For me the whole process is not about Meggin. For me I did everything because I loved my son, that’s why I did all this,” Van De Wiele said.

“The focus is I wanted to know what happened to my son.”

The toddler died in hospital after being picked up from Van Hoof by his mother.

Six years after the death in 2021, Van Hoof would be charged by the OPP and has plead not guilty to manslaughter.

The Crown’s case resumes on Thursday.