A CO Armagh man went on trial on Thursday accused of murdering his infant son who died from “irreversible brain damage’'.
Craig Rowland denies murdering his son Lewis Rowland and further denies the manslaughter of his son.
Rowland (29) and the child’s mother Laura Graham (31), of Millington Park, Portadown, previously pleaded guilty to a charge of wilfully neglecting their son.
Opening the Crown case at Belfast Crown Court prosecution counsel David Russell KC told the jury that on November 20, 2015, the infant, who was aged 13 weeks, was admitted to Craigavon Area Hospital with serious injuries, mainly to his head.
He said the injuries were “non-accidental’' and the child died almost three years later on October 20, 2018 as a result of complications arising out of surgery which was to insert a permanent feeding device into him.
Outling events Mr Russell said Rowland and Graham attended Craigavon Area Hospital at 1.23 pm on November 19, 2015 with Lewis.
In the triage department, a nurse spoke to the parents and Rowland said their son had taken a seizure a month previous.
“She noted bruising to the infant’s face. Mr Rowland said the baby had taken another seizure last night which lasted about 30 minutes and he had held him upside down. He said he didn’t go to hospital as they didn’t have a car,’’ said Mr Russell.
Mr Rowland asked why he hadn’t phoned an ambulance but said they didn’t have a phone.
The jury was told that a CT scan showed “a very marked abnormality to the brain’' and Lewis was transferred to Royal Victoria Hospital for Sick Children in Belfast.
“Aside from the bruising, there was a very significant catastrophic brain injury to Lewis which involved bleeding around the brain tissue which showed there had been irreversible brain damage as a result of reduced oxygen supply in the blood to his brain,’’ outlined the senior prosecutor.
He said subsequent follow-up X-rays showed a healing fracture on a rib to the rear of Lewis and an ophthalmology examination revealed Lewis had bleeding to the rear of his eyes.
Around 9 pm on November 20, Lewis was admitted to surgery in the RVH.
A nurse explained to his parents that Lewis was in a “critical condition’' and staff were unsure whether he would survive.
The court heard she offered them a bed off the ward but was “shocked’' when they declined saying they were going home.
Mr Russell said that on October 20, 2018, when Lewis passed away, urgent attempts were made to contact the couple as hospital staff knew he was not going to survive.
He said a PSNI officer went to their home that morning to assure them he would take them very quickly.
“Rowland refused, saying his mum would take him. He told police to ‘f**k off’ multiple times, saying: ‘I’m not getting in a f**king pig car’’.
A social worker contacted Rowland to say Lewis had passed away. He replied: “I suppose the police will be knocking at the door now.’’
Medical experts who examined the child’s records concluded that Lewis’s haemorrhage injuries were caused by “shaking’ the baby with no head support and the head moved backwards and forwards “with extreme force’'.
At hearing.