'I wish I could go back': Katelynn Sampson's former teacher tells inquest

​Katelynn Sampson's second grade teacher was overwhelmed with emotion at a coroner's inquest into the girl's death Friday, telling the jury she regrets not calling authorities when she saw bruises on the seven-year-old. 

"I didn't suspect something was happening. I wish I could go back," said Cathy Seto, who was weeping so much she had to take several breaks from her testimony.

Seto was testifying about the events leading up to Katelynn's death in August 2008.

The little girl died from complications of blunt force trauma, including septic shock, after months of beatings. Her legal guardian Donna Irving and Irving's boyfriend Warren Johnson pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and were sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 15 years.

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Seto told the coroner's jury that when she met Katelynn in 2007, she was struck by the little girl's bright smile and beautiful long hair. But the little girl returned later that school year with her hair cut short.

Trust in caregivers changed 

Seto also told the inquest Katelynn was away from school unusually often – more than 70 full days and 16 half days that school year.

After a one-week absence in the spring, Seto said the girl came back looking significantly thinner.

During that period, Seto said she noticed bruises the size of quarters on Katelynn.

She testified that when she asked the girl's legal guardian Donna Irving about the absences, Irving explained them away. As for the bruises, Irving told her Katelynn got them playing ball hockey with her sons.

A couple of weeks later, the principal at Parkdale Junior School, Jim Smyth, noticed bruises on Katelynn's cheeks and red marks on her hands and spoke to Seto about them. 

On Thursday, Smyth told the inquest that he met the girl during the first week of school when no one picked her up from class. He contacted the Children's Aid Society (CAS) three separate times to confirm who was responsible for Katelynn's care.

Smyth also testified that he called CAS when he noticed injuries on the little girl's face and hands. The agency told Smyth that it would investigate but never got back in touch and Smyth didn't follow up.

When asked what had changed for her after Sampson's death, Seto said, "My trust in guardians and caregivers in general. They tell me they're going away on a trip and I tell them, 'Please put it in writing', and I follow up."

The inquest isn't sitting next week. The following week, the coroner's jury will hear from school administrators and government officials about what policies have changed since Katelynn's death to ensure other kids don't fall through the cracks.