Police have recovered a laptop believed to have been used by Poppi Worthington’s father on the night she died.
Paul Worthington claimed that he used a computer on the night he is believed to have sexually abused 13-month-old Poppi before she died in 2012 in Cumbria.
Worthington has previously avoided any court action, despite a coroner and a family court judge both ruling that he sexually assaulted the youngster in his bed.
Poppi Worthington died at her home in Cumbria in 2012. There were hopes of a breakthrough in the case today after police seized a laptop thought to have been used by her father
However, there were hopes of a breakthrough today after it emerged that police have seized a laptop which may hold the key to the case.
A police spokesman said today: ‘The Constabulary can confirm that during the course of their enquiries officers have recovered a number of items, including a laptop.
‘The laptop is subject to meticulous forensic examination, by specialist officers, to determine whether it is relevant to potential enquiries concerning Poppi Worthington.’
Paul Worthington has never faced court over Poppi’s death after refusing to answer 252 questions at her inquest
The update came after The Sunday Times Magazine reported that Mr Worthington claimed he gave the laptop to his neighbour.
Earlier this year, a coroner said Mr Worthington had assaulted Poppi before she died in his bed. A similar conclusion was reached by a family division judge in 2016.
At an inquest, Worthington refused to answer questions about Poppi’s death, relying 252 times on his right to remain silent under inquest rules designed to prevent people incriminating themselves.
He reportedly told police he had watched pornography on the night Poppi died.
Police failed to secure the family home and did not collect key evidence, including the bed sheets Poppi was taken to hospital on or samples from her body.
Worthington was not arrested until August 2013, and no charges were brought.
Earlier this year, the Crown Prosecution Service ruled out what would have been a fourth review of evidence, saying no new witnesses had come forward.
A coroner ruled Poppi was sexually abused after her father took her into his bed, pictured
Three attempts at a prosecution have failed, primarily because of a lack of evidence gathered by police at the time of Poppi’s death in 2012 in Barrow in Furness, Cumbria.
The first attempt was in March 2015, following a referral from police; then in June 2016, following the outcome of a Family Court hearing; and again in November 2016, when the decision not to prosecute was subject to a Victim’s Right to Review application.
Mr Worthington’s sister has previously said that he maintains he has done nothing wrong.