Pair appear in court over death of toddler Ali
A DETECTIVE investigating the death of a twoyear-old girl has said there is reason to believe the man charged with her murder attacked the child at a house in Co. Tyrone.
Ali Jayden Doyle died from a serious head injury in hospital on August 6.
Darren John Armstrong, 32, and Jade Dempsey, 24, have been charged in connection to the death of the toddler.
Mr Armstrong, of Ashbeg Grove in Dungannon, has been charged with Ali’s murder and perverting the court of justice.
Ali’s mother, Ms Dempsey, originally from Dublin, but with an address in Sycamore Drive, Dungannon, has been charged with perverting the court of justice and causing the death of a child by an unlawful act.
The pair, who appeared before Omagh Magistrates Court via video link, were refused bail.
The toddler died in hospital on August 6 after she was found unconscious at a house in Park Avenue, Dungannon. Detective Sergeant James Brannigan told the court that when medics arrived at the house, Ali was unresponsive. The court heard Mr Armstrong told medics Ali’s one-year-old brother had hit her over the head with a toy and she had fallen against a hearth.
Detective Brannigan said: ‘On the way to hospital, paramedics became concerned by the account that had been given by both mother and partner about what happened the child and the way the child presented.’
The court heard both children had been placed on the child protection register in April because Ms Dempsey was in a relationship with Mr Armstrong, who was to have ‘no access to these children’.
The court heard that last week, Ms Dempsey and Mr Armstrong made arrangements for her to travel to Belfast to purchase a buggy the following morning, and that Ms Dempsey arranged to leave the children with Mr Armstrong.
In a text exchange the next morning, Mr Armstrong said the child was ‘seriously melting my head’, followed by a call minutes later believed to be informing Ms Dempsey that Ali was injured, the court heard,.
Detective Brannigan said: ‘There is reason to believe that the children were quite stressed at the time and for some reason he [Mr Armstrong] has attacked the child.’ A pathologist said Ali’s injuries were more likely to be non-accidental than accidental. The accused are due in court again on September 1.