Mother 'would have said no' to surgery

Kelly Dent died in Treliske Hospital in Cornwall

The mother of a teenager who died during surgery at a hospital in Cornwall has told a court she would have refused the operation if she had been given more details about it.

Surgeon Kenneth Woodburn is on trial for the manslaughter of 16-year-old Kelly Dent.

Leukaemia sufferer Kelly Dent, of Illogan, near Redruth, Cornwall, died during an operation at Treliske Hospital, near Truro, on 2 September 1998.

Mr Woodburn, 39, of Mill Farm, Idless, near Truro, has pleaded not guilty.

All hell broke loose and everybody started to rush around

Jennifer Clark

In a statement made after Kelly Dent's death and read out to the court, Carol Dent said that if she had known beforehand that a tube was going near her daughter's heart she would have said no to the operation.

Kelly Dent died from massive blood loss while on the operating table at the hospital.

A catheter tube being put into her chest as part of her treatment punctured her heart.

Mrs Dent said she was given no explanation about how the heart was eventually punctured.

Radiographer Jennifer Clark told the jury that surgeon Kenneth Woodburn was very angry during the operation and that he was being slightly rougher than would normally be expected.

But she said she did not feel he had lost his professional control.

Mrs Clark said that when Kelly's blood pressure dropped Kenneth Woodburn stopped.

She then said: "All hell broke loose and everybody started to rush around.

"I remember seeing a nurse coming out of the changing room crying."

The court heard Kenneth Woodburn was very shaken and emotional when efforts to revive Kelly failed.

The trial continues.