A care worker has been accused of trying to influence a colleague to lie during the inquest of a 29-year-old resident.

Holly Goodchild, who lived at Cygnet House in Belton near Great Yarmouth, died in March 2023. 

An inquest into her death resumed on Monday, having previously been brought to an abrupt standstill in June.

It emerged during the resumption that the hearing had been adjourned due to extraordinary allegations between colleagues at the home, which is run by Crystal Care.

The court heard that ahead of a previous hearing, senior support worker Steve Soucient had made a telephone call to fellow support worker Anna Sampaio, who was due to give evidence that day.

And it was claimed that during this call, Mr Soucient had attempted to discuss what she would say in court - leading the colleague to believe he had been trying to influence her evidence.

Giving evidence through an interpreter, Ms Sampaio said: "He said: 'you know exactly what you need to say at court, right?'

"He was not assertive, but suggesting from the way he spoke."

Ms Sampaio denied that her colleague had told her exactly what to say.

However, prior to the inquest she said he had suggested colleagues should "say the same".

She added: "He was suggesting you know what you should say and maybe you should say the same thing, that everyone should say the same."

She added: "Steven is a great person, he always helped at work but I saw everything that happened on that day.

"I saw everything that happened with my own eyes and I cannot lie and I cannot go against the facts of what I saw that day."

Asked whether Mr Soucient had specifically told her everybody should have the same story, she said: "No, it was how I interpreted it."

Miss Goodchild, who was a resident of the home, died due to positional asphyxia due to, or as a result of, epilepsy and morbid obesity.

The inquest continues, with Mr Soucient due to give evidence on Tuesday.