Walsall baby shaken and battered by father before dying, court told

David Hollick is accused of murdering his six-month-old son

A baby was shaken and battered by his father days before he died of catastrophic injuries in his mother's arms in hospital, a court has heard.

David Hollick, 29, of Walsall, denies murdering his son Kairo Jax Hollick.

Kairo died at Birmingham Children's Hospital on February 12 2020 after suffering a non-survivable brain injury, Birmingham Crown Court heard.

The baby had at least two skull fractures and a fracture to his right arm, the jury was told.

Prosecutor David Mason KC told the court Kairo was in the care of his father when he was fatally injured on 9 February.

Mr Mason said Kairo "had not only been shaken violently, but his head had been bashed at least twice" with a hard object by Mr Hollick, of Primley Avenue, Walsall.

Staying in conservatory

Mr Mason said the defendant's ex-partner Adina Johnson had dropped their son off at his home as usual, on 7 February for the weekend, and while Kairo had a cold, she had no other concerns about his health.

Mr Hollick was staying in the conservatory at his parents' home due to a lack of bedroom space after moving back in with them when his relationship with Ms Johnson ended.

The court heard the defendant phoned Ms Johnson at 4:30 GMT on 9 February, but because of the time, she messaged him to say she would call him later on.

Mr Hollick immediately sent her a message telling her to "ring him back, it's about Kai", the court heard.

"What had happened? Well, I'm afraid that the sad reality of this case, ladies and gentlemen, is that to date we have no idea of what really happened to Kairo," said Mr Mason.

"David Hollick has so far failed, we say, to tell anyone the truth as to what he did to his little son.

"According to his account to his family and then to the police, the most that he ever admitted is shaking Kairo, but only after finding Kairo unresponsive."

The last person to see Kairo alive and well was Mr Hollick's brother James, who went into the conservatory at around midnight and saw them sleeping.

Mr Mason said: "The next thing that anyone knew was when David Hollick, at around 4:30am went into his father's bedroom in what appeared to be a panicked state, saying that Kairo was not breathing and that he, quote, 'Didn't want to lose him'."

Kairo was driven to Walsall Manor Hospital, where Mr Hollick told medical staff he had heard his baby son crying before he stopped breathing and claimed he only shook him to "wake him up".

Complex skull fractures

Scans showed Kairo was suffering from a bleed on the brain and a decision was made to transport him to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but despite their specialist facilities, nothing could be done to save him.

Experts are expected to tell the trial Kairo's unsurvivable brain injury happened at the same time as the fractures to his skull, believed to have been caused by direct blunt trauma, while a fracture to his right forearm could be timed to between three and seven days prior to his death.

Complex skull fractures occurred between three and six days prior to Kairo's death, which Mr Mason said "fits into the timeframe that [he] was with his dad".

He said: "What has he done? Why won't he tell us? Perhaps it is because he doesn't want to admit that what he has done is kill his own son."

Mr Hollick denies murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter. The trial is expected to last three weeks.