Murder-accused was 'building a bond' with boy

Charlie Roberts was 22 months old when he died in January

A man accused of abusing and murdering his girlfriend's 22-month-old son has told jurors he was building a bond with the boy.

Charlie Roberts was in the sole care of Christopher Stockton, 38, when he suffered a fatal head injury at his home in Darlington in January, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Mr Stockton denies murder and child cruelty, while Charlie's mother Paula Roberts has admitted child neglect by failing to get her son medical treatment.

Mr Stockton told jurors he did not know how Charlie suffered bruises in the months before his death but he was not responsible for them.

Charlie had been in his sole care for 18 minutes when, at about 09:00 on 12 January, Mr Stockton called 999 to say the toddler was floppy and not breathing at the family home on Frosterley Drive, the court has heard.

He claimed Charlie choked on a biscuit but doctors at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary were immediately suspicious with scans revealing the boy had suffered major bleeding in his brain which would cause his death the following day.

Christopher Stockton said he was building a bond with Charlie Roberts

The court heard Mr Stockton first met Roberts about six years ago when he sold her a car, with the pair remaining in intermittent contact.

They began dating in January 2023 after the breakdown of his marriage, and he was introduced to Charlie at the toddler's first birthday party in March that year.

Under questioning from his barrister Jamie Hill KC, Mr Stockton said he had no experience of raising a toddler and it was a "learning curve", but he was building a bond with Charlie.

He said Charlie was "usually a very well-behaved" child who would be happy playing by himself or with other people, but he would favour going to his mother than to other adults.

"Did you harbour any ill feeling towards him?" Mr Hill asked.

"No," Mr Stockton replied.

Christopher Stockton moved into Charlie Roberts' home days before the boy's death

He was quizzed about bruises seen on Charlie in the following months, including one to Charlie's forehead after he spent the night at Mr Stockton's home on Neasham Road in June, but Mr Stockton said he was not responsible for them.

Mr Stockton said some of them were caused in "accidents" but he did not witness any of them occur.

The court heard Roberts noticed Charlie was "not himself" and seemed particularly uncomfortable around men, for which she blamed issues with his biological father.

Mr Hill asked Mr Stockton if he was harming Charlie, to which the defendant replied: "I wasn't doing anything to Charlie, no."

Socials services launched an investigation in May after Charlie was taken to hospital with bruises and a nose bleed, but after five days Charlie was returned to Roberts' care with no further action being taken, the court heard.

Mr Stockton said the relationship became "very rocky" because of Roberts' erratic moods and mental health issues but he decided to commit and try and "rekindle" it.

Paula Roberts hid a camera in her son's room

The trial previously heard Ms Roberts hid a camera in Charlie's room in September over fears he may be being "smothered" by Mr Stockton to stop the boy crying when he was being put to bed.

Mr Stockton told jurors he calmed Charlie by making a "shushing noise" trying to "soothe him", and he was "upset and hurt" by the accusation he had harmed him.

On another occasion Roberts messaged a relative to say she had seen Mr Stockton flicking Charlie by the eye.

Mr Stockton said he was "wafting a fly away" from Charlie's face while he was feeding him, with Roberts later telling him if she thought he was hurting her son they wouldn't be together.

"Were you hurting him [or] doing anything to him?" Mr Hill asked.

"No," Mr Stockton replied.

He said Charlie also injured the back of his head when he tripped over a toy and fell against a fireplace which Mr Stockton treated.

The court has heard Mr Stockton moved into the family's home seven days before Charlie suffered his fatal injuries and had been awake until 05:30 on 12 January, getting three hours sleep before being left in sole charge of the toddler.

'Violent cold killer?'

"Had you assaulted Charlie?" Mr Hill asked.

"No," Mr Stockton replied, adding he had no explanation for why Charlie had collapsed.

Mr Hill asked him if he had "done anything to harm Charlie at any point" in the time he knew him, to which Mr Stockton replied: "No."

In cross examination, prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC confirmed with Mr Stockton that Charlie had been his "usual healthy self" that morning before going from "fine to beyond help in moments".

"How did he end up in that state?" Mr Lumley asked.

Mr Stockton replied: "I don't know."

The defendant said he knew what it looked like but he did nothing to harm Charlie.

"It does look like you killed him doesn't it?" Mr Lumley asked.

"On paper yes," Mr Stockton replied, but saying that was "not what happened".

Mr Lumley said: "You are a violent, yet chillingly cold killer aren't you?"

Mr Stockton replied: "No I'm not"

The trial continues.