Dad on trial for murder of 5-month-old daughter; baby "repeatedly abused" (Glasgow, Scotland)

Dad CRAIG JAMIESON is on trial for the murder of his 5-month-old daughter, who was in her father's "care" when she suffered fatal blunt force trauma to the head. There is evidence that the baby was "repeatedly abused" before her death as well.

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Page last updated at 12:59 GMT, Tuesday, 23 March 2010

Dead baby was 'repeatedly abused'

The trial of a man accused of murdering his five-month-old daughter has been told that she suffered repeated physical abuse before she died.

Consultant paediatric neurologist Conor Mallucci said Abbie Jamieson could have been fatally injured a few hours before an ambulance was called.

Mr Mallucci was giving evidence at the trial of 30-year-old Craig Jamieson.

He denies murdering Abbie in February 2008 and has lodged a special defence blaming her mother, Nichola Haddock.

Mr Mallucci, 44, who is based at Alder Hey children's hospital in Liverpool and is an expert on head injuries in children, told the High Court in Glasgow that the fatal blow or blows to Abbie were struck one or two hours before the ambulance arrived at her family home at 1215 GMT on 8 February.

He said that to all intents and purposes Abbie was dead when the ambulance arrived, although paramedics and doctors at Yorkhill Hospital battled for almost six hours to try to save her.

Certainly on the day of her death she had trauma over and above that she had before, which was non-survivable

Mr Mallucci also told the court that in his opinion Abbie had been physically abused from at least Christmas time in 2007, when she was three months old.

The jury heard that his view was based on medical reports and statements made by Mr Jamieson about what happened to Abbie on the morning she died.

In his statements to police, paramedics and a doctor, Mr Jamieson spoke of waking up Abbie at about 0915 GMT and then feeding her.

He claimed that later in the morning she went white and floppy and he called an ambulance.

Prosecutor Lesley Shand QC asked Mr Mallucci if Abbie could have been injured before her mother Nichola Haddock left to go to Caledonian University at about 0745 GMT and he replied: "I don't think it is feasible. It is not a scenario I think is possible."

Mr Mallucci added that he thought it unlikely Abbie had sustained her injuries prior to being fed.
In a report he said: "If the trauma had been inflicted on Abbie before her father woke it would have been obvious to him. The swelling from blunt force trauma usually happened in minutes."

Under cross-examination, defence QC Ronnie Watson asked: "Is the father's account possible that the child was injured before he woke up?" Mr Mallucci replied: "I think it is unlikely."

Mr Watson then said: "That must leave a possibility that it is possible?" Mr Mallucci replied: "Yes, it's possible."

Mr Mallucci added: "This was a trauma which killed her. Fatal trauma to the abdomen and skull does not result in a normally handling child."

He added that in Mr Jamieson's account of the child's actions that day she was "described as taking feeds and having her eyes open".

Mr Mallucci was asked by Mr Watson: "Does the whole appearance of the child suggest that throughout the part of her life from Christmas onwards Abbie was a child who suffered physical trauma?" He replied: "She had repetitive physical trauma."

The consultant was then asked if the trauma had escalated. He replied: "Yes. Certainly on the day of her death she had trauma over and above that she had before, which was non-survivable."

Mr Jamieson is accused of murdering Abbie by inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and body by means unknown to the prosecutor.

He is also charged with assaulting Abbie to her severe injury on 6 January 2008 at the family home in Dumbarton Road.

The trial, before temporary judge Alastair Stewart, continues.