Telford baby murder trial told youngster suffered 'severe trauma'

Tragic Oliver Sargent was rushed to Telford's Princess Royal Hospital after his father Paul Thomas made a frantic 999 call to West Midlands Ambulance Service to say he had collapsed and stopped breathing.

He was later transferred to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but died four days after the collapse on July 31, 2012.

Scans while in hospital revealed Oliver had injuries including bleeding on the brain and eyes.

X-rays also showed fractures to his skull, ribs and collarbone.

Oliver had been in and out of hospital and doctors' surgeries in the months before that, with his parents telling doctors and nurses he was constantly vomiting.

Paul Thomas and the baby's mother Ashlea Thomas, formerly Sargent, stand jointly accused of killing Oliver.

On the eighth day of the couple's trial at Birmingham Crown Court yesterday, the jury heard from Dr Richard Boncek, an eye pathologist who was asked to examine Oliver after his death.

Dr Boncek told the court he found two different bleeds on the eyes.

He said one could be dated as very recent to the baby's collapse, but the other was, in his view, a "minimum of a week" old and could even have been "several weeks to months" in age.

When asked by prosecuting counsel Mr Andrew Smith what he believed the cause of the injuries to be, the witness replied: "They occur in children in traumatic instances, in severe trauma."

Dr Boncek said he would expect such bleeding to be the result of a head injury caused by a car accident, a fall downstairs or being dropped from a carer's arms from a standing position.

Mr Smith asked him: "Could they have been caused by a low-level fall at home?"

"It's highly unlikely," Dr Boncek replied.

The prosecutor went on: "Is there any other explanation for the eye injuries you observed?"

Dr Boncek said: "I don't think so, no."

The witness went on to tell the jury he agreed that the bleeding could have been caused "by shaking, or impact, or both".

He said everything was consistent with Oliver suffering non-accidental injuries before his collapse at home.

Paul Thomas, 29, a builder, and Ashlea Thomas, 20, a nursery nurse, both formerly of Priory Way, St Georges, Telford, but now of Dalford Court, Hollinswood, Telford, both deny murder.

The married couple also deny an alternative charge to murder of causing a child's death by not recognising there was a risk of significant harm by a member of the household between July 27 and July 31, 2012.

Both also face a charge of abusing, ill-treating, abandoning or neglecting Oliver in a manner likely to cause harm between March 12 and July 26, 2012.

They deny all charges against them and insist they never harmed Oliver in any way.

The trial continues.