DEAD BABY ENDURED VIOLENCE
MURDER ACCUSED DAD IN COURT AS DOCTOR REVEALS ...
THE injuries sustained by a Colac baby allegedly murdered by his father were caused by “unmistakable violence”, a Geelong court has been told.
Three-month-old Braxton died nine days after he was airlifted to hospital in an unresponsive state on October 15, 2011.
Scott Hammond, 27, faced the first day of his pre-trial committal hearing yesterday, charged with murder and child homicide.
It is alleged he fatally injured his son by shaking him.
Dr Amanda Gwee from the Royal Children’s Hospital said some of the infant’s injuries were most likely caused by abusive head trauma from “unmistakable violence”.
The child also had fractures to his ribs and femur, bruising, and a twisted leg.
Dr Gwee said the infants injuries were either “inflicted” or the result of “accidental high force trauma”.
“Considering that he (Braxton) also had a femoral fracture it would suggest that there some kind of twisting involved,” she explained.
Under defence questioning, Dr Gwee agreed Braxton’s injuries could have been accidental, but the amount of force used was “something we don’t see in the day to day handling of babies”.
Mr Hammond’s former partner and the mother of the child, Nakita Cook, told the hearing she’d previously heard her baby scream in the presence of his father. “It was like nothing I’d ever heard before,” she said.
The court heard Ms Cook had written in one of her statements that she thought the boy’s father had “maybe done something but I’ve never seen him actually hurt the boys”.
Appearing by video link Ms Cook was clearly distressed and had trouble remembering the months leading up to her son’s death.
She told the court the last time she had seen her baby on the day of the incident was after feeding him.
“The last time I saw Braxton was when I put him in his bassinet for a sleep, this was about half an hour after feeding him,” she said.
The court heard the boy had been a “spewy” baby, had issues with reflux and episodes where he appeared “white and floppy”.
The young mum said she had tried “anything and everything” to find out how to help him.
“I just wanted to find out what was going on ... so I did anything and everything,” she said. “I just wanted answers.”
During cross-examination, Ms Cook said she had used speed “maybe once or twice” with Mr Hammond in between the boys birth and Braxton’s death.
In a June bail application, Mr Hammond’s lawyer, Fiona Todd, said on the day of the incident her client was caring for Braxton when he noticed he was “white and floppy” and 40 minutes later he had stopped breathing.
It was heard Mr Hammond started CPR and called the boy’s mother, who quickly returned home and together they took Braxton to Colac hospital where doctors revived him.
He was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne but died on October 23 when his life support was turned off.
Ms Cook’s former doctor, Raymond Sarkis, told the court yesterday felt Nakita hadn’t been coping with the twins.
He said it was a “gut feeling” but his was concern was just in the context of “a young mum needing more support especially with young twins”.
The hearing continues today.
“The last time I saw Braxton was when I put him in his bassinet for a sleep, this was about half an hour after feeding him.” MUM NAKITA COOK