Family’s praise for alleged baby killer
FAMILY members have sung the praises of Nicholas Baxter as he stands trial for allegedly murdering his six- week- old son.
Baxter, 37, called on his parents, brother, mother- in- law and sister- inlaw to give character references yesterday in the Supreme Court.
Mother- in- law Kara Barker said she met Baxter when he visited Western Australia in 2010 and he asked her husband for his permission to marry Tenae.
Ms Barker said she visited Townsville shortly after baby Matthew was born in 2011.
“He was such a loving, caring father. I remember getting up one night, I heard Matthew crying,” she said. “He was changing Matthew’s nappy and he was talking all sort of baby goo- ga talks to him.
“I just watched them for a few minutes. I didn’t want to disturb them because he was having such a special time.”
Parents Ronald and Karan Baxter from Toowoomba and brother Marcus from Cairns testified to Baxter’s “calm” and “honest” personality.
“It just doesn’t matter what the circumstances are, he just seems to be able to have a level head, even in circumstances where you would reasonably expect someone to be upset,” Marcus Baxter said. “I’ve not seen him angry ever.” Tenae Baxter’s younger sister Jordina Barker, a sales consultant from Perth, said she had kept in contact with Baxter.
“He’s a gentleman, he’s kind, he’s caring. What you see is what you get, he’s a great bloke,” she said.
Crown prosecutor Nathan Crane alleges Baxter was home looking after Matthew on November 3, 2011, when he shook or struck him, causing fatal head injuries.
Yesterday he asked Baxter whether he, frustrated after nights of interrupted sleep, “snapped” and committed the murder. Baxter replied no. Mr Crane asked whether Matthew would cry at night, “at times where all you wanted to do was have a rest?”
Baxter said he was never frustrated by the crying.
“You can admit it, there are people in this room who would say the same thing,” Mr Crane said.
“There was no time when you were frustrated with Matthew over the course of six weeks, being a new dad?” Baxter replied no. Baxter denied Mr Crane’s suggestion that he “hit him, or shook him, or a combination of the two”.
Mr Crane said Baxter was diligent in maintaining Matthew’s routine.
“The sound of a crying baby isn’t one that you can be conditioned to ignore,” he said.
“All the nights on Cockatoo Island with Middle Eastern music is not going to prepare you for the sound of a crying baby, is it?”
The trial continues.