TWO hospital employees, according to court documents, stated the woman who snatched the day-old baby from Victoria Jubilee Hospital (VJH) on January 9 was lurking at the facility daily for almost a month.

The accused, Peta-Gay Ffrench, was charged with child stealing on February 11.

Ffrench, who is from Harkers Hall, St Catherine, was taken into custody on February 5 when she turned up at the Registrar General’s Department in Twickenham Park, St Catherine, attempting to register a baby.

A subsequent DNA test confirmed on February 7 that the baby belonged to a couple whose child was snatched from the hospital.

On Thursday, when the case was called up in the Kingston and St Andrew Parish Court for a bail application hearing, it took a different turn when the Crown opposed bail. Ffrench’s attorney Rachel Donaldson refrained from making the application after the prosecutor opposed bail on the basis that if Ffrench is released on bail, she may interfere with the witnesses and at the same time, obstruct justice.

The prosecutor also told the court that there is a possibility she may abscond bail based on the seriousness of the charge.

The court was told that based on the nature and seriousness of the offence, it is clear that Ffrench is resourceful and that there is a likelihood she will interfere with the witnesses and the investigation.

It was further argued that there is no condition the court can impose to alleviate the risk of her not turning up at court for trial.

According to court documents, French was first seen at the VJH by two witnesses on December 10, 2018.

The witnesses, who thought it was unusual for her to be at the medical facility every day, made enquiries. It is reported that Ffrench, who was always early for visiting, told one of the witnesses that she had a baby at the nursery. At that time the witness informed her that she did not have to wait until visiting hours to see the baby as she could, instead do so at any time as long as she presented the relevant documents.

At another point the other witness, who was also suspicious, made enquiries and she reportedly told him that she was visiting four mothers on the ward.

The prosecution, meanwhile, argued that Ffrench, who did not have a name for the baby when she went to RGD and referred to him as a “miracle baby”, raised suspicion when checks at Spanish Town Hospital, where she claimed she gave birth, revealed that there was no record of the birth.

Attorney Donaldson indicated to the court that she was not in receipt of the health and immunisation cards, which were allegedly issued by the health centre in Harkers Hall. The attorney asked for the matter to be fast-tracked to the Home Circuit Court.

After Parish Judge Lori-Ann Cole-Montague explained to Ffrench what was happening in court, the prosecutor served the committal bundle.

The matter was subsequently stood down.

When the matter was recalled the judge, as well as the attorney, examined and signed the statements while the prosecutor summarised.

During the committal hearing the court was told that one of the security guards, who had gone to brush her teeth approximately 4:00 am, was told that that the baby was missing.

The court also heard that another security guard, who was manning the entrance, was told not to allow anyone to leave the hospital at approximately 5:12 am.

Additional statements were also tendered into evidence.

The accused is scheduled to reappear in court on July 15.