MUM ‘NOT HOME’ AT TIME OF INJURIES
TYRELL Cobb was injured four times while alone with his mother’s ex-boyfriend and was released from hospital just days before he died, a court has heard.
Heidi Strbak pleaded guilty to manslaughter over her four-year-old son’s death on the Gold Coast in May 2009, but at a Supreme Court hearing this week she contested the allegation she was behind a fatal blow to his stomach.
Her ex-partner, Matthew Scown, yesterday gave evidence against her.
Scown, who also denied assaulting Tyrell, was sentenced last month to four years’ jail on the same charge but controversially walked free from court.
Scown was grilled in the witness box by Strbak’s barrister, Greg McGuire, about a string of injuries Tyrell received in the lead-up to his death, including bruising from a deliberate kick to the little boy’s bottom.
Tyrell was also hospitalised for several nights and was only released four days before his death after Scown claimed the child accidentally slammed his finger in a toy box.
Scown said Tyrell tripped up a flight of stairs and fell over in the shower the night before he died.
Mr McGuire put to Scown that each injury occurred while Strbak was either not in the room or out of the house. “That’s three times he’s injured that she didn’t see, correct? The fourth time was when he had a fall in the shower, she wasn’t even home,” Mr McGuire said.
Scown replied: “If you want to put it like that.”
Earlier, Scown said Strbak slapped Tyrell in the face and hit him in the ribs before he died.
He said his ex-girlfriend became “cranky” if she did not have access to cannabis.
The pair both claim they are only guilty of manslaughter for failing to provide medical care.
The sentencing hearing continues before Justice Peter Applegarth today.