News from around the county Court told of baby Eli’s fatal injuries
The trial of a couple accused of causing a young baby’s death has heard harrowing details of the injuries he suffered, which included being shaken shortly before he died.
Five-month-old Eli Cox suffered fatal injuries at a home in Sheppey which led to his death two weeks later.
Maidstone Crown Court was told the tot died of a “catastrophic” head injury which had caused extensive brain damage.
He was also found to have 28 fractures to 19 bones, which it was suggested had been inflicted on many different occasions leading up to the tragedy.
Mum-of-nine Katherine Cox, 33, and Danny Shepherd, 25, from Faversham, deny causing or allowing the death of a child between and causing or allowing physical harm to a child.
They also denied possessing the Class B drug amphetamine.
When the youngster collapsed, in April 2016, Shepherd and Cox were the only adults in the fourbedroom house.
Prosecutor Jennifer Knight said: “It was the actions of one of them that resulted in the catastrophic brain injury Eli Cox suffered that day.”
She said both knew the youngster was at serious risk of harm.
Miss Knight said Shepherd, who was not the child’s father, called himself “Pickle” and he had a stick he labelled “Pickle’s beating stick”.
A radiologist found bleeding around the brain was significant, as it was indicative of shaking.
Miss Knight said a brain injury of such magnitude would have been apparent to the perpetrator immediately after it was caused.
A pathologist concluded Eli suffered five different episodes of non-accidental injury in the 10 weeks prior to his death, sufficient to cause damage or fractures to his bones.
Shepherd said he only had the stick a short time as it was burnt on Bonfire Night. He denied threatening or hitting children with it.
The trial, which is expected to last four weeks, continues.