Harlow woman murdered baby son by 'violently' shaking him, trial told

Ms Goncalves told emergency services someone "came in the house" via her window, jurors were told

A woman killed her baby son by "violently" shaking him and striking his head against a hard surface, a court heard.

Eloddie Goncalves, 33, is charged with murdering 12-week-old Malik Goncalves at her flat in Harlow, Essex, in August 2020.

Social services told her not to drink alcohol or be alone with Malik, a trial at Chelmsford Crown Court heard.

Her partner Muritala Olaiya-Imam is accused of allowing the child's death.

Opening the prosecution case, Karim Khalil KC said she assaulted Malik "violently by shaking him and by striking his head against one or more hard surfaces, causing multiple fractures".

'Not moving'

Jurors were told that police were previously called to Ms Goncalves's flat in Joyners Field on 24 June, after a call from a neighbour, and officers found her "handling [her child] in a rather unsafe manner, slurring her words, unsteady on her feet".

The prosecutor said she was arrested on suspicion of child neglect, while Mr Olaiya-Imam, 37, who was not at the flat at the time, was contacted.

Ms Goncalves was released with no further action the next day.

A social services safety plan was put in place, stipulating that Ms Goncalves, who had mental health issues, was not to drink alcohol and not to be left alone with Malik, and for Mr Olaiya-Imam to contact police if Ms Goncalves was under the influence of alcohol.

Mr Olaiya-Imam told authorities he was the father although subsequent DNA tests revealed he was not, Mr Khalil said.

Jurors heard Ms Goncalves told a 999 call handler on 19 August "my son is dead, he's not moving" and told emergency services at the scene "somebody came in the house because I left the window open".

Mr Olaiya-Imam arrived while paramedics were at the flat and he "appeared immediately to go into shock" when told about his son's death.

"While the flat was being examined, several empty bottles of wine were found both inside and outside in the communal gardens," Mr Khalil said.

The trial at Chelmsford Crown Court is scheduled to last up to six weeks

Mr Khalil said a urine sample from Ms Goncalves at the hospital was contaminated with both hers and Mr Olaiya-Imam's urine.

"We say their act to corrupt that sample was done to interfere with the police investigation," he said.

The prosecutor said there were "constituents of cannabis" in her blood sample, and that the same sample suggested she was one and a half times over the legal drink-drive limit on the morning of 19 August.

Ms Goncalves denies murder, and also denies the lesser alternative charge of allowing the child's death, assaulting an emergency worker, and perverting the course of justice.

Mr Olaiya Imam, whose address cannot be reported for legal reasons, denies allowing the death of a child, cruelty to a child and perverting the course of justice.

He "was or ought to have been aware of that risk" and "should have been there to protect" Malik, said Mr Khalil.

The trial is due to last up to six weeks.