"TAKING THE WITNESS STAND AT TRURO CROWN COURT YESTERDAY THE FORMER PAEDIATRICIAN WHO SEES SOME 200 BABIES AT THE JOHN RATCLIFFE HOSPITAL IN OXFORD EVERY YEAR SAID: “IT IS VERY LIKELY A FALL FROM THE HEIGHT INDICATED COULD HAVE CAUSED THE INJURIES.
“THE FORCE OF SUCH A FALL WOULD BE AT LEAST FOUR TIMES THE FORCE USED BY AN AVERAGE ADULT TO SHAKE A CHILD. IF YOU HAVE AN IMPACT FALL HEAD FIRST YOU SIMPLY DON’T NEED THE SHAKE.”"
NEURO-PATHOLOGIST VALERIE SQUIRE;
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As Anne-Marie Rooney's trial continued, a child head injury specialist took the stand for the defence, thisisgloucestershire.com reported earlier today in a story which ean without by-line under the heading, "Fall likely to have caused baby's death."
"Joe Rooney was more likely to have died from a head first fall than from being shaken by his mother, according to a leading expert in child brain injuries," the story began.
"Great Ormond Street-trained consultant neuro-pathologist Valerie Squire, was giving evidence during the trial of 28-year-old Anne Marie Rooney of Bristol Road, Quedgeley," it continued;
Taking the witness stand at Truro Crown Court yesterday the former paediatrician who sees some 200 babies at the John Ratcliffe Hospital in Oxford every year said: “It is very likely a fall from the height indicated could have caused the injuries.
“The force of such a fall would be at least four times the force used by an average adult to shake a child. If you have an impact fall head first you simply don’t need the shake.”
Mrs Squire went on to explain that clinical tests have proved that shaking a five kilogram baby for longer than 10 seconds was “too tiring”.
“And shake a baby with such force as has been suggested would require a tight grip on the baby’s chest, waist or arms,” she said.
“There would be finger marks, bruises and even fractured ribs.”
Defence barrister Maura McGowan QC asked: “Could an accident have caused the injuries suffered by this eight-month-old baby?”
The neuro-pathologist, who had been called in to examine baby Joe’s brain after his death in 2007, replied: “Oh yes, indeed.”
Rooney has pleaded not guilty to murdering baby Joe at Trevisker Farm camp site on July 1, 2007. She has also denied his manslaughter.
“The Crown’s case is that the defendant shaking her baby caused fatal injuries, while the defence case is they were caused by a fall,” said Miss McGowan.
Earlier, the prosecution claimed Rooney had shaken baby Joe with such force he sustained “devastating” head, brain and neck injuries.
But the defendant explained from the witness stand earlier this week, that she had placed her baby in the middle of her bed in their caravan and plumped up the duvet around the child.
She went outside to deposit some rubbish, the door slammed shut and she heard a second bang, when she went inside her son was lying face down on the floor screaming .
He went red, then blue.
She told the court how she picked him up by his clothing, shook him, shouting ‘come on Joe,’ cradled him and shook him again.
Friends in the next door caravan took him to Padstow in their car, from where he was taken by air ambulanceto Treliske Royal Cornwall Hospital near Truro.
He died the following day.
The trial continues;
Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;
