Boy, 3, died from brain injury and burns, court hears

Dwelaniyah Robinson died in November 2022

A three-year-old allegedly murdered by his mother died from a combination of a brain injury and burns, jurors have been told.

Christina Robinson is accused of causing a fatal head injury to her son by violently shaking him at their home in Ushaw Moor, Durham, and of having scalded his legs and buttocks in the weeks before his death as well as hitting him with a bamboo cane.

Newcastle Crown Court has heard she claims she was allowed to chastise the boy according to the teachings of the Bible.

The defendant, 30, denies murder and a child cruelty charge.

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Home Office pathologist Dr Nigel Cooper told the court he carried out a post-mortem examination and found Dwelaniyah had suffered 20% burns to his body, which would have been extremely painful.

He weighed 2st 3lb (14kg) and was 3ft 2in (97cm) tall at the time of his death in November 2022, the pathologist recorded.

Mrs Robinson claimed her son was injured by hot water when he was playing in the shower, although the prosecution disputes that, saying he was deliberately scalded.

She did not seek medical help for the burns, treating his injuries herself, the jury has heard.

'Not fit and healthy'

Dr Cooper said the infected burns would have contributed to the youngster's death to some extent because his body would have been working hard to cope with the trauma, repairing the damage and fighting infection.

Asked about their impact, he told the court Dwelaniyah "was not a fit and healthy three-year-old".

He added: "It is likely he would have died anyway, but he would have been in a better position to withstand the head injury (had he not suffered the burns)."

Mrs Robinson claimed Dwelaniyah choked while eating a cheese bap, but Dr Cooper said that did not account for the head injuries he found.

She contacted emergency services on 5 November, claiming her son had stopped breathing after "his eyes went all weird" while he was eating.

Dwelaniyah's heart had stopped and he could not be saved by hospital staff.

The jury has been told Mrs Robinson, who is originally from Tamworth, Staffordshire, was having an affair with a man she met on a dating site and had got pregnant using a separate sperm donor.

Her husband was away working for the RAF at the time of their son's death, the court has heard.

The trial continues.