Sheffield Crown Court: Father accused of murdering baby claims he tried to save his collapsed son

Sheffield Crown Court has heard during an on-going trial how Leon Mathias, aged 33, of Stonebridge Lane, in Great Houghton, Barnsley, has denied assaulting and murdering his two-month-old son Hunter who was taken to hospital with injuries on November 30, 2018, and later died on December 3, 2018.

Prosecuting barrister Robert Smith KC previously told the jury Hunter Mathias was just over two-months-old when he died at Sheffield Children’s Hospital on December 3, that year, as a result of a severe brain injury sustained on November 30, 2018, and that had involved internal bleeding over the surface of the brain and brain swelling.

A post-mortem examination revealed bruising to Hunter’s scalp was consistent with an impact injury to the head and scans revealed three lower limb fractures including one fracture which was believed to have occurred around the time of the head injury with the other two occurring days earlier.

Labourer Leon Mathias told the jury on December 8 Hunter had previously been struggling with breathing while feeding from the bottle and he had developed a bloodshot eye.

He added he got in the bath with Hunter on the evening of November 30, 2018, while his partner Becky Higginbottom and her friend were downstairs but he and Hunter got out after the youngster had defecated and he wrapped him in a towel in a bedroom and he cried as he was moisturised.

Mr Mathias said: “When babies are crying sometimes they hold their breath and originally I thought that’s what it was. Then he did not take a breath for ages and that’s when I grabbed him because something didn’t seem right. I grabbed him and that’s when I shouted to Becky that something’s not right.”

He added that Becky made a 999 call and came upstairs and they were both panicking.

Mr Mathias added: “While she was making the call I had him on my knee and was hitting his back because I thought he was choking.”

Defence barrister Peter Griffiths KC confirmed Becky was given instructions by the 999 call operator which she passed to Mr Mathias.

Mr Griffiths said Mr Mathias was told to lie the child on his back and carry out hard and fast chest compressions and to check if there was any food in his mouth and to carry out a mouth-mouth procedure.

Mr Mathias said: “I did the best I could but obviously I am not trained in first aid.”

The defendant added Hunter vomited from his nose and mouth and Becky had said Hunter had stopped breathing altogether and he had turned blue.

Mr Griffiths confirmed an auntie joined Mr Mathias and his partner and she took over CPR before paramedics arrived.

Hunter was taken by ambulance to Barnsley District General Hospital and was later transferred to Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he died on December 3, 2018.

The court heard that prior to the incident Hunter’s parents had been advised about shaken-baby syndrome by a community nurse with a warning that a baby should never be shaken, handled roughly or thrown in the air.

Mr Smith, prosecuting, argued Leon Mathias had lost his temper and Hunter was physically swung against a surface thereby striking his head and resulting in bruising beneath his scalp and if he had been held by his left leg and physically swung and shaken that could have resulted in his left leg becoming fractured once more at the knee.

He previously told the jury: “The prosecution’s case is that the defendant Leon Mathias, father of Hunter, is the person responsible for inflicting the head injuries resulting in Hunter’s death and he did so by physically holding Hunter by his legs and hitting him against a surface and he may also have shaken him at some time.”

Mr Smith also said experts believe these injuries were closely associated with the shaking of a child, the twisting of limbs or swinging a child by the legs.

Mr Mathias told Mr Smith, during cross examination, that he could not explain how Hunter’s injuries might have been caused including the bruising to the child’s head and his fractured left leg.

He said: “I cannot remember if I banged his head. I was panicking. I was rushing. I was trying to save my son. I wasn’t thinking about anything else. I was trying to save him.”

Mr Mathias has pleaded not guilty to causing grievous bodily harm with intent to Hunter between November 22 and 29, 2018, and he has pleaded not guilty to murdering Hunter who died on December 3, 2018.

The trial continues.