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Mum kicked and slapped baby, coroner told
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| A mother kicked her baby's stomach and slapped his head months before he died of "blunt trauma to the abdomen", a coroner has been told. Family friend Stephen King said he was "shocked" to see Rebecca Mann physically assault and verbally abuse baby Robbie, but didn't intervene because he feared a "punch-up". Mr King was later accused at Glebe Coroner's Court on Monday during the inquest into Robbie's death of lying to protect his long-time mate, Ms Mann's ex-partner Steven Gillett. "The reason why you gave this statement to police was to try to take the heat off Steven and turn the attention to allegations about Rebecca," Ms Mann's lawyer Brian Murray said. "I disagree," Mr King replied. "All the instances of kicking, or slapping or mistreatment that you say you saw of Robbie by Rebecca are made up by you," Mr Murray said. Mr King denied the allegation. Deputy State Coroner Paul MacMahon was told a homicide investigation began after one-year-old Robbie was found dead in his cot on July 31, 2006, at the family's home at Claymore in Sydney's southwest. Mr Gillett was later charged with Robbie's murder but the case against him was dropped in September 2008. Counsel assisting the coroner Mark Higgins said Robbie had been taken to hospital on a number of occasions for injuries including a ruptured testicle, bruising and a fractured skull, said to have occurred when he fell onto a concrete path while in the care of a babysitter. Twelve days before his death, Robbie was taken to his GP "after a fall from the lounge" which left him with a large egg-shaped lump on the front of his head, the inquest heard. A post mortem examination found he was undernourished and had been suffering serious weight loss which "compromised his health", Mr Higgins said. The cause of his death was "blunt trauma to the abdomen and consequential blood loss". Mr Higgins said the issue for the inquest was the manner of death, but it would also examine "whether there had been any interference with Robbie before the arrival of police". The inquest is expected to run for two weeks and will hear evidence of drug use and a suggestion of domestic violence in the household, Mr Higgins said. Mr King denied he had seen Mr Gillett inject speed and amphetamines, but said he was smoking marijuana. "They both were," he said of the parents. |
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