Dad to stand trial in beating death of 11-month-old son (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

Dad CLAVOND GALLUP just went through the preliminary hearing in the beating death of his 11-month-old son. Talk about a sickening orgy of overkill--this guy isn't fit to stay in the human race if even half the accusations are true. I wonder where the mother was in all this--as usual, there's a suspicious silence.

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/90194932.html

Posted on Thu, Apr. 8, 2010

Dad to stand trial in tot's beating death
By MENSAH M. DEAN
Philadelphia Daily News

deanm@phillynews.com 215-854-5949

The severe beating that 11-month-old Joshua Gallop suffered in the early hours of Nov. 21 left his 29-pound body broken and bruised from head to toe, Assistant Medical Examiner Gary Collins told a Philadelphia judge yesterday.

It was as if he'd been dropped from 12 feet onto concrete, or hit by a baseball bat or by a car going 25 miles an hour, Collins said.

Joshua's death from blunt-force injuries was actually caused by as many as 50 blows and a severe shaking administered by his father, Clavond Gallop, Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Bretschneider said.

Gallop, 41, of Edgley Street in North Philadelphia, furrowed his brow and stared straight ahead as Collins and homicide Detective James Crone testified during his preliminary hearing.

Municipal Judge Bradley K. Moss ordered Gallop to stand trial on charges of murder and endangering the welfare of a child. He is being held without bail.

"There was a brutal beating of this 11-month old little boy," Bretschneider said. "Fortunately, Dr. Collins and members of the Philadelphia Homicide Unit were able to bring forth evidence that allowed Judge Moss to hold him for court."

Among the child's injuries were fractures to his skull and ribs, a swollen brain, a bleeding scalp and bruises on his face, chest, back, arms, legs and internal organs.

The only injuries that were not new were blisters that had been healing on the soles of Joshua's feet, which Collins said could have been caused by burning.

Collins surmised that the child had been in "immense" pain and that he had no way to defend himself.

"If he could speak, he probably would have called out for mommy," Collins said.

A group of Joshua's relatives were in court for the hearing and met with Bretschneider afterward.

Crone said that Gallop appeared remorseful when interviewed on the afternoon of the boy's death.

He said that Gallop admitted that he had shaken his son and that the child had fallen from his hands to the ground.

Gallop also said that he had been drinking "all day and all night," Crone said. At the time of his arrest, Gallop was on probation from a January 2008 drug conviction.