Accused admits 'telling little lies' over son's death

A man accused of the murder and manslaughter of his infant son has denied injuring him but admitted telling "little lies" in his account of what happened.

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

Lewis was admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital when he was 13 weeks old, with a number of injuries including a serious brain injury, in November 2015.

The child died three years later from complications arising from surgery. It is the prosecution's case that the earlier injuries played a significant role in his death.

Mr Rowland denies the charges and on Wednesday, he gave evidence for the first time.

He said the night before his son was admitted to hospital, he had been "unsettled" and had needed Calpol but slept for several hours.

He said he slept too, but was awoken by his partner - the baby's mother Laura Graham - at about 07:00 BST.

A defence barrister asked Mr Rowland if Lewis seemed different from how he had been earlier.

"He looked a bit different. He wasn't himself. Colour wise, not as pink as he should be," he said.

He was asked why he did not call an ambulance.

"We had no phone," he said.

Instead the court heard the couple walked the three miles to Craigavon hospital with Lewis in his pram. When they arrived, he was gravely ill and was rushed into a resuscitation unit.

Mr Rowland was asked by the defence barrister if at any stage did he injure Lewis.

"No," he replied.

He was asked if he knew who did or if he saw anyone injure him, to which he replied "no".

When asked if he accepted that Lewis was injured, he replied: "Now I do, yes."

"Do you accept someone had to inflict injuries," the defence barrister asked.

"Yes," Mr Rowland said.

Later under cross examination by a prosecution barrister, he was asked who carried out the attack on Lewis.

"I don't know," he said.

He was asked repeatedly who attacked Lewis - the only two people caring for Lewis at that time were Mr Rowland and the baby's mother, Laura Graham.

"Who are you suggesting carried out the attack?" the prosecuting barrister asked.

"I can't point the finger at anyone else," Mr Rowland said.

"I know it wasn't me."

"I'm asking you directly, if it wasn't you, who was it?" the prosecution barrister asked.

"If I knew who I would say," Mr Rowland replied.

The court heard that the couple were offered a bed to stay overnight in the Royal Victoria hospital in Belfast with Lewis, but they declined and left the hospital.

He accepted that had been a "pretty callous thing" to do, in hindsight.

Mr Rowland was accused by the prosecuting barrister of lying to the police during interviews.

He said he had told the truth apart from "little lies here and there", over when he was or was not alone with the baby, and around the timings of the day in question.

The prosecuting barrister said: "I'm going to suggest to you Mr Rowland that you just leave a trail of lies behind you to try and hide what happened here."

He also accused him of trying to distance himself from the assault.

"You're the one who shook Lewis. You're telling these lies to try and wriggle out of it?"

"No definitely not," Mr Rowland replied.

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

The child's mother Laura Graham has also pleaded guilty to the same charge.

The trail continues.