Benedict Blythe inquest: Class teacher left with PTSD following tragic death of five-year-old

The inquest into the death of Benedict following an allergic reaction he suffered at Barnack Primary School on December 1, 2021 called his class teacher Jenny Brass to give evidence on Friday (July 4).

Ms Brass, who now teaches at a school in the United Arab Emirates, described Benedict as the ‘smartest child in her class’ before going onto call for greater support for teachers who have had to go through similar situations.

She said: “Benedict is always in my thoughts.

"This has had a significant impact on my mental health and I have since been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder.

"I know how important school and education is and that is the reason I have continued to teach.

"There needs to be greater support for teachers.”

Ms Brass recalled Benedict arriving at school as normal and greeting him at the gate, she described him as laughing during the first lesson of the day, which was phonics.

At break time, which was around 10am, Benedict was taken outside by one of Ms Brass’ teaching assistants, Chelsea Back, and it was during this time he ate his gingerbread biscuit that he had brought from home.

After returning to the classroom, Ms Brass offered Benedict his oatmilk (Benedict’s several allergies included cow’s milk) but he told he did not fancy it and instead wanted water. Ms Brass told the inquest that she then instructed Benedict to pour the milk away in the sink and he instead drank from his bottle of water.

Although Ms Brass and another of her teaching assistants, Sophie Brown, were both in the class and had full view of all of the children inside, she said that she did not accompany Benedict to the sink and that it is not possible for her to know for certain if Benedict drank any of his milk on the way.

She also told the inquest that Benedict’s milk was stored in the staff fridge along with their normal milk as well as a carton of lactose-free milk for another child in the class. She said that due to the size, packaging and name labels there was ‘no possibility of ever confusing the milk.’

On Thursday, Dr Shuaib Nasser, a consultant in allergy and asthma, told the inquest that his conclusion was that milk was the only food allergy that Benedict had that was capable of causing a potentially fatal allergic reaction.

Ms Brass said that she could not recall if the oat milk and the lactose-free milk were brought to the class at the same time.

The inquest heard that 10 minutes after pouring the milk way, Benedict was sick for the first time. At this time, Ms Brass noticed red above his lips.

Benedict was sat reading before being sick a further time and taken outside.

He was then brought back in by Ms Brass and placed on the carpet when he then began to cough and became ‘blue’ and ‘floppy’ before he then stopped responding and CPR was started.

Benedict’s father, who had been called when he was sick for the first time, as well as the school’s music teacher, administered CPR. Ms Brass instructed the school’s caretakers to rush to the village hall - approximately 0.2 miles away - to bring the defibrillator there. The device, however, advised that no shock was necessary and CPR continued.

Ms Brass told the inquest that Benedict was given one jab of his adrenaline pen by Ms Brown and then a second approximately five to 10 minutes afterwards.

The inquest heard that Ms Brass had been a year into her first teaching post in December 2021 and received statutory training upon joining the school but that did not include first aid training.

Ms Brass did state that she had previously undergone first aid training and had a ‘good understanding of first aid’ due to a previous endeavour seeing her qualify to teach first aid in Africa.

She had completed online EpiPen training provided in September 2021.

Ms Brown was fully trained in paediatric first aid.

The inquest continues next week and is scheduled to end on Friday (July 11).