Injured boy tube fed in hospital, murder trial told

A baby, whose father is accused of killing him, had to be fed through a tube in hospital, a trial has heard.

Craig Rowland, 29, of Millington Park in Portadown, County Armagh, is charged with the murder and manslaughter of Lewis Oliver Rowland, who died on 20 October 2018.

Lewis was 13 weeks old when he was admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital with "serious head injuries" in November 2015.

The boy died three years later, in October 2018, after complications arising from surgery.

On Monday, Belfast Crown Court heard from consultant paediatric neurosurgeon, Jayaratnam Jayamohan.

He said the baby suffered “catastrophic” injuries and had to be “fed by tube” in hospital.

He also said he believes the injuries suffered by Lewis were caused by “shaking“ and possibly by what he described as “an impact".

Mr Jayamohan, addressing the jury via video link, added that Lewis suffered “vision impairment” from his brain injury.

He also explained that a separate scan revealed “a big blood clot” on the child’s lower spine.

Mr Jayamohan said he did not believe the extent of the injuries could be explained as “accidental”.

Asked by a defence lawyer if Lewis was “very ill when taken to hospital“, the witness replied: “He could have died very easily”.

The trial has also heard from a consultant paediatric radiologist.

Dr Kieran McHugh told the jury that a rib fracture sustained by the baby was consistent with the child's chest being squeezed "severely and inappropriately".

He explained that if the level of squeezing required to break a baby's rib was observed by a member of the public, it would be seen as "highly inappropriate".

When he was asked by a prosecution lawyer if someone might intervene if they observed it, Dr McHugh said: "You would, you should".

The medic also told a defence lawyer that he considered the injury on Lewis to have been "inflicted".

He also said it was caused by "much more than rough handling".

Replying to a query from the judge Mr Justice O'Hara, Dr Mc Hugh explained that the softer formation of a child's rib would be more difficult to break than a more developed and harder adult rib.

The prosecution maintains the child's injuries were "non-accidental". Mr Rowland denies the charges.

Mr Rowland, who is on bail, has previously pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully neglecting the child.

The baby’s mother, Laura Graham, has also pleaded guilty to the same charge.

The trial continues.