Ollie Davis: Baby's neck 'snapped' before death, murder jury told

Ollie Davis was found in his cot in Upper Temple Walk, Beaumont Leys, Leicester

A four-week-old baby died from the delayed effects of a broken neck inflicted up to eight days previously, his parents' murder trial has heard.

A jury at Leicester Crown Court was told on Wednesday that Ollie Davis was pronounced dead after being found lifeless in his bedroom in 2017.

Prosecutors allege he was injured while in the care of his mother Kayleigh Driver and father Michael Davis.

They both deny murder and causing or allowing Ollie's death.

Jurors were told Ollie suffered 23 broken ribs, fractures to his skull, collar bone, both arms and the joints of all his limbs prior to his death on the morning of 21 October 2017.

Crown counsel Jonas Hankin KC told jurors: "[Ollie] was found lifeless in his crib in the bedroom that he shared with his parents at Upper Temple Walk here in Leicester.

"An ambulance was called and he was taken to the Leicester Royal Infirmary. However, medical staff were unable to revive him and at 07:30 it was agreed that attempts to resuscitate him should be discontinued.

"He was then pronounced dead. He died from the delayed effects of a broken neck."

The injuries were inflicted over various overlapping timeframes of up to 10 days before his death, the court heard.

"What the pathology investigation can tell us is the neck was snapped between four and eight days prior to his death," he said.

'Severe compressive force'

Mr Hankin submitted that the evidence would make the jury sure that one of Ollie's parents was the "perpetrator" of his injuries.

He said: "Ollie could not have caused the injuries to himself - he was a... pre-mobile baby."

Neither Ms Driver, 31, who was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis last year and appeared before the jury sitting on a mobility scooter, nor Mr Davis, 29, had put forward an account of an accident or accidents to explain the injuries, Mr Hankin said.

Mr Hankin added: "The nature of these injuries is such that multiple mechanisms were required to cause them.

"Severe compressive force is required to cause the rib fractures.

"These injuries and the events that caused them could not have taken place in a single episode of violence."

Referring to an injury to Ollie's left first rib, Mr Hankin told the jury Mr Davis was in sole charge of Ollie overnight from 20 and 21 October.

Mr Hankin said: "If you are satisfied that that was an inflicted injury, then he must have been the perpetrator because he was the sole adult carer responsible for the baby at around the time the injury must have been caused.

"You may think also that it's most likely that he is the perpetrator of all of Ollie's other abusive injuries."

The court heard both defendants deny any wrongdoing, each saying that they did not cause their son any physical harm at all.

The trial continues.