The death of a ’delightful, happy baby’ has been ruled as an accident, an inquest heard.

Ruby-Mai Olivya Kirlew was nearly seven months old when she was found with no signs of life at her home in the Rockside apartments on Head Road, Douglas, on Saturday November 4.

The cause of death was said to be ’accidental positional asphyxia’ after Ruby-Mai fell from a sofa, where she had been sleeping, and was found lying face down on some pillows on the floor.

Coroner of Inquests John Needham gave the verdict at Douglas courthouse on Tuesday.

He said: ’From what I have read she was a delightful, happy baby. This was a tragic accident.’

Mr Needham said that the tragedy highlights the need for ’proper and safe’ sleeping beds for babies.

Beverley Kirlew, mother of Ruby-Mai, attended the inquest along with close friends.

The inquest heard that Ms Kirlew had put her daughter to bed at about 7pm on November 3, after a routine bottle feed.

Ruby-Mai was placed on a leather sofa along with a blanket and pillow.

The sofa had become a regular sleeping place for Ruby, as her travel cot was too big to fit in the front room.

Cushions were also placed on the floor next to the couch.

In a written statement read out in court, Ms Kirlew said that she had fallen asleep in the same room as Ruby-Mai.

When Ms Kirlew awoke at about 5am, she found her child lying on cushions on the floor and showing no signs of life.

She immediately called 999 and was advised to carry out CPR. Paramedics arrived at the flat a short time later.

Police and paramedics both described the death as ’non-suspicious’ and said that no marks were found on her body to suggest unnatural bodily harm.

A post mortem was carried out at Alder Hey Hospital in Liverpool.

The time of death is thought to be sometime between 9pm on November 4 and 2am the following morning.

Ms Kirlew told Isle of Man Newspapers after the opening inquest in November: ’She was the most smiley, happiest baby.

’She’s now been taken into the arms of the angels.’

Katie Glover, a close friend of the mother who attended the inquest, called Ruby-Mai the ’smallest beauty with the most amazing wide eyes’ who had ’captured [her] heart with the first cuddle [she] had’.

A JustGiving page to pay towards the funeral extras was set up by Ruby-Mai’s aunt Helen Kirlew who said: ’We could not save my little princess. This has broken all our family’s hearts.’

The coroner passed on his condolences to Ms Kirlew and to her family and friends.