Bristol City Council v B & Ors
| Court | Family Court (EW) |
| Judge | Her Honour Judge Cope |
| Neutral Citation | [2025] EWFC 121 (B) |
| Date | 17 April 2025 |
| Year | 2025 |
| Counsel | Mr Fuller,Mr Wilkinson,Baker,Ms Dines,Mr Brookes-baker |
Neutral Citation Number: [2025] EWFC 121 (B)
Case number: BS24C50351
IN THE FAMILY COURT AT BRISTOL
Bristol Civil and Family Court Justice Centre
2 Redcliff Street
Bristol
BS1 6GR
Date: 17 April 2025
Before:
Her Honour Judge Cope
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Between:
Bristol City Council
Applicant
- and -
B
-and-
C
-and-
D
First
Respondent
Second
Respondent
Third
Respondent
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mr Fuller (instructed by Bristol City Council) for the applicant
Mr Wilkinson (instructed by RKW Goodman Solicitors) for the mother
Ms Dines (instructed by Bobbetts Mackan Solicitors) for the father
Mr Brookes-Baker (instructed by Daniel Woodman Solicitors) for the child
Hearing dates: 9, 10, 11, 15, 16 and 17 April 2025
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Approved Judgment
1
This judgment was handed down on 17 April 2025 by circulation to the parties or their
representatives by e-mail at a hearing and by release to the National Archives
Judge’s name: Her Honour Judge Cope
JUDGMENT
This judgment was given in private. The judge gives permission for this version of the judgment to
be published on condition that (irrespective of what is contained in the judgment) in any published
version of this judgment the anonymity of the children and members of their family must be strictly
preserved. All persons, including representatives of the media and legal bloggers, must ensure that
this condition is strictly complied with. Failure to do so may be a contempt of court.
Introduction
1. I am concerned with a nine month old baby girl who I shall refer to as D. This hearing has
been listed as a fact-finding hearing to determine allegations pursued by the local authority.
The mother is the first respondent, the father the second respondent and D the third
respondent. D’s guardian is Ms Coughlan.
2. For the purpose of this hearing, the local authority is represented by Mr Fuller, the mother
by Mr Wilkinson, the father by Ms Dines and D by Mr Brookes-Baker. I am grateful to
them all for their assistance.
Background
3. The mother is aged XX and the father XX. They met when the mother was 19. D is the
mother’s first child. The father has children by two former partners. The parents met on an
online anxiety forum. The mother was studying at university at the time but gave up her
degree to move in with the father in June 2023. She moved away from where she had been
living all of her life for this purpose.
4. In March 2024 the mother was visited by the local authority and the police to make her
aware that the father was awaiting trial for the alleged rape of his daughter, Z, between the
2
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