Baby’s parents deny ‘catastrophic’ injuries
rossparry.co.uk/syndication Picture shows baby Krystal Davison whose parents Lee Davison, 28, and Jessica Hopkinson, 18 face charges at Leeds Crown Court for the death of the seven-week-old baby girl. Krystal was taken to Pinderfields Hospital on the evening of April 12 and police were called to reports of a baby being brought in with serious injuries. She died in the early hours of the next morning.
A SEVEN-week-old baby died after being subjected to a “catastrophic” catalogue of injuries at the hands of either one or both her parents, a court heard.
Prosecutors said Hemsworth dad Lee Davison, 28, and Jessica Marie Hopkinson, 19, inflicted at least two “episodes of violence” on their daughter during her short life.
A jury at Leeds Crown Court heard this week how Kristal Davison suffered brain injuries, bleeding behind the eyes and fractures to her left leg and several ribs while in the sole care of her parents, who deny causing or allowing her death.
The couple, who met while Davison lived at Marton Avenue, lived in Pontefract when their daughter died.
Julian Goose QC, prosecuting, said the horrific injuries were inflicted over a number of weeks leading up to the infant’s death on April 13, and were indicative of violent shaking, blunt force to the head and trauma to other parts of her body.
He said: “Kristal was subjected to at least two, possibly more, episodes of violence or trauma in her short life.
“How she came to suffer so many injuries with such a catastrophic effect is only known by the two defendants.”
Davison called an ambulance on April 12 last year to their home in Ashleigh Avenue, reporting that Kristal was gasping for breath.
When paramedics arrived, the baby was pale, limp and lifeless and was taken to hospital, where she died the following day.
A post mortem examination found she had bruises and grazes to her face, internal bruising to the head, two distinct traumatic injuries to the skull, brain damage, bleeding on the surface of the brain and behind the eyes and healing fractures to her left leg and eight ribs.
Mr Goose said: “Whether they caused Kristal’s death themselves, separately or together, or they failed to take all reasonable steps to protect her from the serious and obvious risk of injury to her at the hands of the other, the prosecution say that they are both guilty of causing the death of Kristal.”
The parents were arrested at the hospital and interviewed by police where they both blamed the other for causing the injuries.
Davison accused his partner of “slamming” the baby on the changing mat and into the sofa, adding she was “snappy and moody” and only “half-coping” with becoming a mother.
Hopkinson claimed she had seen him “shake” their daughter to wake her up, drop her on the floor while in her Moses basket and “toss” her onto the sofa.
Mr Goose said: “Despite lengthy police interviews with both defendants, they failed to tell the truth about how Kristal suffered such serious injuries as to cause her death.”
The baby was seen by a number of health professionals, including a health visitor and a doctor two days before her death, but her injuries were not found.
The trial continues.
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Saturday 18 May 2013
Today
Heavy rain
Temperature: 6 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: West
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 18 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North
