Murder trial: Baby's list of injuries revealed
A pathologist told a baby murder trial that the four-month-old victim died from head and abdominal injuries.
Dr Allan Howatson, 58, was giving evidence at the trial of Craig Jamieson, who denies murdering his daughter Abbie at the family home in Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, on February 8, 2008.
He told prosecutor Lesley Shand QC that Abbie had fresh bruising to her head and body, two fractures to her skull, bleeding into her scalp and damage to her liver.
Dr Howatson said the fracture on the left hand right of Abbie's brain was fresh.
He added: "At first I thought the fracture to the right side was fresh also. But looking at it under a microscope I discovered there had been a previous injury. It was partly a fresh injury and partly an old injury."
Dr Howatson said he thought the bruising to the abdomen would have been caused by more than one blow. And the injury to the head could have been the result of one blow or more than one.
Ms Shand asked: "Would a person be aware they were causing damage?" he replied: "Yes, you would be aware the child had been injured."
Ms Shand then asked: "Would the blunt force trauma to the head have been painful and would the blunt force trauma to the abdomen have been painful? Dr Howatson said: "Yes."
He was asked if he had found any older injuries on Abbie and replied: "Yes. There was an old healing fractured rib and previous bruising to the liver with scarring on the same area as the acute injury."
Dr Howatson said the rib injury could have been anything from two weeks to several months old.
He told the jury the liver injury could have happened when Abbie was born.
Referring to the impact which caused Abbie's injuries, Mr Watson asked: "It is force that you would be satisfied that an adult male could deliver?" and Dr Howatson replied: "Yes."
Mr Watson then asked: "And an adult female?" and Dr Howatson said: "Yes."
The jury was shown photographs taken during the post-mortem examination carried out on Abbie at at Yorkhill Hospital 16 hours after her death.
They heard that at the time of her death baby Abbie weighed just over 14lbs.
Dr Howatson described her in his 25-page report as a "well-grown child who had been well-looked after in terms of nutrition and cleanliness".
He was asked by Mr Watson: "Abbie had a massive fracture to her skull and had massive injuries to her abdomen which were life-threatening?" and Dr Howatson replied: "Yes."
The pathologist agreed with Mr Watson that some of the bruising to Abbie's abdomen could have been caused if she had received inexpert resusitation.
Mr Watson added: "In this case there is no suggestion that these injuries happened accidentally," and Dr Howatson said: "That's correct."
Jamieson, 30, of Summerhill Place, Drumchapel, Glasgow, has lodged a special defence of incrimination against Abbie's mother Nichola Haddock, 29.
Jamieson is accused of murdering Abbie by inflicting blunt force trauma to her head and body by means unknown to the prosecutor.
He is also charged with assaulting Abbie to her severe injury on January 6, 2008 at their flat in Dumbarton Road, Glasgow. He denies both charges.
The trial before temporary judge Alastair Stewart QC continues.
