Mon, 18 Jan 2016
Birmingham Crown Court heard that a father shook his five-month-old premature baby daughter too death because she wouldn’t stop crying. Baby Deimante Driukite died from a brain injury and also suffered 26 fractures in the care of Tomas Driukas, 26.
It was heard Driukas is alleged to have deliberately inflicted the catastrophic injuries after struggling to cope with looking after the child by himself whilst his partner was at work.
It was heard that the baby had died from a severe brain injury after she was taken into the Birmingham Children’s Hospital with breathing difficulties in the early hours of April 1 last year.
Driukas, who moved to the UK with partner Renata Braskyte from Lithuania in 2010, denies charges of murder and inflicting grievous bodily harm and Braskyte, 23, denies a charge of allowing the death of a child.
No5 Chambers Barrister Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, said: ‘The nature of the injuries is a significant indication he intended to cause really serious bodily harm.
'They are consistent with impatience and hostility towards a child.’
Mr Hankin said: 'When she left hospital she had no fractures so all of those fractures occurred when she was in the defendant's care.
'Some fractures related to the same bones. They had been fractured and re-fractured at a later date.
'It happened on his watch.
'There is no evidence Ms Braskyte was violent towards the children or harmed them in any way.
'The onset (of the injuries) appears to coincide with Ms Braskyte's return to work in mid to late February.
'Mr Driukas was left for the first time in sole care of these children.'
It was heard that Driukas claimed that his daughter had fallen ill as he was feeding her and later claimed that he had fallen asleep in bed with the baby and fallen out and landed on top of her when medical evidence ruled out natural causes.
During police interviews Braskyte said Driukas would not hurt the children but said he had attempted to discipline them.
But she admitted Deimante cried a lot as though she was in pain.
The trial continues.
Click here to view the full article written by the Daily Mail.
To view Jonas Hankin QC's Crime profile click here.
