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“Mad Men” star Jamie King is baffled as to why police have dropped their investigation into the death of the actor’s 5-day-old son, Benjamin.
The infant died from severe brain damage less than a week after being born by emergency Caesarean section on May 5, 2016.
The Avon and Somerset Police Department released a statement that was obtained by People magazine: “Following a referral from the coroner in this case, we have reviewed the matter. At this time, there is insufficient evidence to refer this matter to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) for consideration. We have communicated our findings to the coroner.”
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People reports that on May 4, Benjamin’s mother, a Canadian actress, was 14 days overdue when she was rushed to the Royal United Hospital (RUH) in Bath, Somerset, after a nurse at a local clinic spotted an abnormality on a scan.
According to The Telegraph, doctors told her they could not perform a C-section for six hours because she had been given a hospital meal which needed to be digested. A C-section was scheduled for that evening, but it got postponed because an emergency case then took priority and the couple was sent home. She was then scheduled to have the C-Section the next morning.
King told The Guardian that staff at the hospital “ignored our objections and they sent us home. … We believed them when they said it was safe to go home,” King said. “But it is now very clear that we should have never been sent home that night.”
After experiencing prolonged contractions the next morning, Podemski was rushed to the hospital and underwent an emergency C-section. Upon being born, Benjamin was transferred to a specialist unit at St. Michael’s Hospital in Bristol. Sadly, he died on May 10.
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Coroner Maria Voisin suddenly halted an inquest into Benjamin’s death in November 2016. Voisin said the decision to delay the C-Section combined with the decision to send Podemski home, “resulted in Benjamin being born in a poor condition and his subsequent death.”
There were also allegations that witness statements had been tampered with by the hospital’s National Health Service foundation trust. Those allegations have been denied.
In a statement, King opened up about the tragic death of his son and the decisions made behind the scenes that possibly could have prevented it.
Due to a poorly judged decision to postpone his C-section, Benjamin was delivered in an emergency procedure, and suffered severe brain damage as a result. He tragically died at 5 days old.
“Unfortunately, through the process of this inquest, we have also learned about the darker, behind-the-scenes decisions that have been made. Decisions that threaten the good work of honest healthcare professionals, as well as the safety of their patients,” he added. “We were horrified to hear evidence that a statement had been altered by the legal team representing the RUH.”
“As a result of this, the coroner, who stated that she considers this is a very serious matter, has been forced to adjourn the inquest to allow for an investigation to take place. At a time when the U.K. has one of the highest stillbirth rates in Europe, we must create an environment where all medical practitioners feel safe to be honest about their mistakes so we can all hear from them.
“The inquest and the internal investigations that will be taking place are a tremendous opportunity for growth and change. And we cannot waste them.
“In his short life our son Benjamin has had a profound effect on our family,” continued the actor. “He’s taught us the true meaning of love, he asked us to be the most courageous, resilient and forgiving versions of ourselves.
King and Podemski aren’t convinced there isn’t more to it.
“We are deeply shocked to learn from the press that the police investigation has now been closed, especially since the RUH had promised to keep us informed of all developments regarding this very serious matter,” the couple told The Daily Mail on Friday.
“Our solicitor has petitioned for them to provide us with the results of their internal investigation, as well as the findings of the police report,” they continued. “Until we can review that material, we are unable to comment further, except to say that we continue to be very hurt and disappointed by the RUH’s profound lack of respect and consideration for our needs as grieving parents.”
