A BABY girl survived when a car smashed into her buggy - only to die two days later when her drunken father cradled her to sleep following a 15-pint binge.

Two-week-old Ellie Walls became trapped down the side of a leather armchair after falling from the arms of her father, Terry Riley.

Only 48 hours earlier, doctors had been amazed that Ellie survived unscathed when she was flung from her buggy in the accident close to her parents' home.

Yesterday, a coroner said the accident played no part in her death - but said her parents had grossly failed to provide her with "adequate basic care" following their drinking session.

An inquest heard how Mr Riley had drunk 15 pints in a 12-hour session with Ellie's mother, Melanie Walls.

He was woken the following morning by Miss Walls, who had discovered the unconscious child at their home in Houghton-le-Spring, Wearside.

Miss Walls, who has three other children, attempted to resuscitate Ellie, but she was pronounced dead at Sunderland Royal Hospital.

The Sunderland inquest was told that the day before her death, Ellie and her older sister, Shay, who was about 17-months-old at the time, were dropped off at their grandmother's by their mother.

Miss Walls then went to the Glendale Club to meet Mr Riley.

They stayed out drinking for eight hours, then picked up the babies before going home.

Miss Walls, who said she had consumed about ten halves, told the inquest she took Shay upstairs to bed and came back to lie on the settee. Ellie was in her Moses basket.

Ellie began crying and both parents can remember Mr Riley picking her out of the crib and sitting with her in the chair, but then they both fell asleep.

Miss Walls - who is also mother to Kevin, nine, and Kaitlin, five, who were staying with relatives at the time of the tragedy - discovered the newborn trapped face down between Mr Riley's leg and the arm of the chair.

Asked about his night out, Mr Riley, who no longer lives with Miss Walls, said: "I think I was a bit drunk, but not too drunk."

Pathologist Dr Christopher Wright told the inquest there were no definitive findings for the cause of death, but Ellie was typically too young to be a victim of cot death. He couldn't rule out asphyxia by overlay, which is where an infant suffocates while sleeping with a parent.

Coroner Derek Winter said: "I am satisfied that the road traffic accident had nothing at all to do with her death.

"It is clear to me that Ellie became trapped between her father's body and the arm of the chair and couldn't move.

"In my view, there was a gross failure to provide her with adequate basic care to provide her with a safe environment.

"That failure was substantial and in my view has contributed to her death."

Mr Winter said in his view Ellie's death was caused by overlay and he would be recording a verdict of accidental death aggravated by neglect.

A spokeswoman for Northumbria Police said there would be no criminal action.