A THREE-year-old boy was scalded with boiling water before his mum allegedly beat him to death with a cane, a court heard.
Little Dwelaniyah Robinson died in agony weighing just over 2st and had more than 70 injuries inflicted on his tiny frame.
PoliceChristina Robinson, 30, is standing trial accused of murdering her son Dwelaniyah[/caption]
PADwelaniyah Robinson died in agony weighing just over 2st and had more than 70 injuries inflicted on his tiny frame[/caption]
Pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper, who carried out a post mortem on Dwelaniyah, said the burns to his legs, buttocks and genitals would have been “excruciatingly painful”.
On the day he died his injuries would have left the innocent toddler “significantly debilitated”, he added.
Christina Robinson, 30, is standing trial accused of murdering her son.
She is alleged to have caused a fatal head injury to the boy at the family home in Ushaw Moor, Durham, on November 5, 2022.
She is also accused of deliberately scalding his legs and buttocks and hitting him with a bamboo cane.
Dr Cooper told Newcastle Crown Court Dwelaniyah’s head injury occurred near to the time of death.
It was likely to have involved repetitive forceful movement of the head, possibly by shaking or hitting a surface.
The burns suffered by the youngster, which covered “20 percent” of his body, may have contributed but were unlikely the cause of his death, the pathologist added.
While 19 tramline bruises on Dwelaniyah were consistent with being caused by a thin stick, Dr Cooper said.
Robinson alleges the youngster died after choking on a cheese sandwich and that burns were suffered in the shower.
Jurors at Newcastle Crown Court were shown body worn footage of Robinson giving an account to cops at her home as emergency workers tried to revive Dwelaniyah in the next room.
She says: “We were just downstairs and he was eating his food and then all of a sudden there was like a splutter in his eyes and then he sort of just went limp.
“I didn’t know what was going on. I thought he was messing around because he doesn’t chew his food very well. I’d been working on him for maybe 5-10 minutes.”
Jurors also heard the call to the emergency services made by Robinson where she tells the operator his “eyes just want all weird”.
Dr Cooper said he had seen no evidence Dwelaniyah’s airways were blocked and dying from “inhaling a foreign body is very rare”.
Robinson claims that instead of seeking medical treatment for the burns she wrapped them in bandages.
There were also numerous scratches, bruises and marks to his body.
Dr Cooper added: “He was covered in many injuries, back and front and I don’t see how they can all be normal wear and tear. Some could have been.”
Asked for his opinion about cause of death, the pathologist said: “Head injury and infected burns.”
Robinson denies murder and child cruelty.
Christina Robinson is accused of murdering her son at the family home in Ushaw Moor, Durham, on November 5, 2022NNP Published: [#item_custom_pubDate]
