THE nurse assistant accused of snatching a day-old baby from the University Hospital of the West Indies in St Andrew last Friday is expected to appear in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court on Friday.

She was expected in court yesterday but was not taken by the police.

Forty-seven-year-old Lorna Williams was charged with child stealing last Saturday after the day-old baby was found in her possession in Rollington Town on the same day the baby disappeared.

The baby girl went missing from Ward 11 at the hospital last Friday. The baby was taken from a cot adjacent to her mother’s bed.

At the time of the baby’s disappearance, the hospital said the only people on the ward were nurses and doctors and other medical staff who were making clinical rounds.

Yesterday, when the matter was mentioned, attorney Carol DaCosta, who is representing the accused, complained that her client was languishing in jail and that there was no good reason to keep her in custody.

“She was not brought yesterday and not brought today. However, she was told that she would be taken on Friday,” DaCosta told the court.

Parish judge Tracy-Ann Johnson said that police would have to find a date as soon as possible that is convenient to the court, after which it was agreed for her to appear tomorrow.

— Racquel Porter