Dad denies murder charges in death of 6-week-old son (Peterborough, England, United Kingdom)

Dad RYSZARD SPIEWAK has denied that he shook to death his 6-week-old son. The baby died 4 days after the "incident" from severe brain damage and cardiac arrest. The baby was also found to have suffered 10 broken ribs in the weeks before his death. So basically this poor angel was tortured from birth.

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news/Court-Father-denies-causing-death.6098742.jp

Court: Father denies causing death of his baby son
24 February 2010
By Stephen Briggs

THE Peterborough mother of a six-week-old baby boy, who was allegedly shaken to death by his father, broke down in tears as she told a court how she found his lifeless body lying on the sofa.

Monika Spiewak (24) took to the witness stand on the first day of Ryszard Spiewak's trial at Cambridge Crown Court yesterday (23 February).

The 29-year-old Polish national, of Clarence Road, Peterborough denies charges of murder, manslaughter and causing grievous bodily harm with intent to baby Piotr Spiewak.

He died on September 2, 2008, after suffering severe brain damage and a cardiac arrest four days earlier.

He was also found to have 10 broken ribs caused weeks before he suffered his fatal injuries.

Unable to hold back her tears, Mrs Spiewak sobbed as she told the jury how she found Piotr's fatally-injured and lifeless body lying in the living room of their house in Adderly, Bretton, in the early hours of August 29, 2008.

She said: "I was sleeping upstairs while Ryszard slept in the living room with Piotr.

"Ryszard came to wake me at 5am, and said Piotr wasn't breathing and we had to call an ambulance.

"I ran downstairs and I saw Piotr lying next to his carry cot on the sofa.

"He was not breathing.

"He was blue, he looked swollen and his eyes were closed. He was not moving. He was cold.

"I tried to reanimate him by blowing into his mouth, but he didn't start breathing."

Mrs Spiewak, who moved to Britain from Poland in 2007, said her husband said he had been woken by Piotr's crying and as he held him in his arms to comfort him the tot started choking.

When the paramedics arrived they took Piotr to Peterborough District Hospital but after tests were carried out the doctors decided to move him to Leicester Royal Infirmary for further treatment in intensive care.

But four days later his parents had to take the heart-breaking decision to turn off his life support machine.

The court also heard how further tests after his death revealed that Piotr had 10 broken ribs, suffered in a violent incident that happened some weeks before his death.

Prosecuting counsel, Karim Khalil said: "The rib injuries indicated he had been squeezed with more than an appropriate force.

"The brain damage suggests that the cause of death was excessive shaking.

"We say that this was a deliberate infliction of violence.

"It is one of those sad cases when a baby has died because of a violent act and the perpetrator just won't own up."

Ryszard denies all of the charges laid against him.

The trial continues.