Roughley, who had 17 years experience in nursery work, said she treated Genevieve no differently from any other child.
She claimed she had placed Genevieve to sleep on her side as she had wanted to settle a cough she had.
It was not out of character for the baby to be “kicking her legs” and “tossing and turning” and she had made appropriate checks on her, Roughley added.
She maintained that Genevieve’s death was a “terrible, unavoidable accident” and denied she had “persecuted” the youngster, adding: “I would never not like a nine-month-old baby.”
Roughley told the court that the ratio of staff to children at the nursery “gradually worsened” during her time at Tiny Toes.
The court heard in April and May 2022 the staff to children ratios at the nursery were at various times one to nine, two to 11, two to 13 and one to 16.
Defence barrister Sarah Elliott KC told jurors that Roughley was paid “£11 to £11.50 per hour” in May 2022.
The nursery’s owners, Frank and Karen Pell, who were “like family” to Roughley, were making an “awful lot of money” from the business, she said.
Ms Elliott added: “There is no sign of them now.”
Tiny Toes was closed down in the months following Genevieve’s death.
A nursery, owned and managed by a different company, operates in the building now.
Roughley will be sentenced on Wednesday.
Additional reporting by Phil McCann and PA News.
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