The 16-month-old baby who was killed by her mother and lover had a skull so severely injured it appeared like ‘crazy paving,’ a court heard.
Star Hobson tragically died after a ‘physical assault by an adult.’
Her mother, 20-year-old Frankie Smith, and her lover 28-year-old Savannah Brockhill, are accused of inflicting the injuries.
In the latest update, Pathologist Dr. Christopher Johnson found the child died due to blood loss.
Her inferior vena cava, the biggest vein in the body, was reportedly ripped in a blunt force trauma.
The doctor said that the fatal injuries were caused through either ‘punches, kicks or stamps.’
According to reports, a post mortem revealed pre-existing injuries, including a severe skull fracture, fractured and re-fractured ribs, and fractured and re-fractured tibia.
“There was 300ml of liquid blood was in the abdominal cavity, almost half the total blood in Star’s body,” Dr. Johnson told Bradford Crown Court.
“This accumulation of blood occurred due to a laceration of the inferior vena cava – the largest vein in the body – that takes blood from the lower extremities and abdominal organs back to the heart.”
“There was a 2cm x 2cm laceration to the vein, 4cm below where it enters the heart,” he continued.
“There was also a deep ragged laceration to the liver in the same region as the lacerated vein, and bruising to the pancreas and the lower aspect of the lungs.”
The doctor added: “These injuries were caused by non-accidental injuries to her abdomen.”
Star had ten bruises to her feet, ankles, legs and toes, and multiple bruises on her arms. She had 15 separate injuries to her head, including a bruise on her scalp, cheek, jaw, ear, and torn lip.
“Children don’t just get severe bruising like that. Even if it was a strange accident, it would be immediately obvious to a caregiver what has happened and that they would take that child straight to hospital,” Dr. Johnson said.
“I used to work in A&E and if I saw a child with those injuries I would be very concerned that the child had suffered an inflicted injury.”
When asked by prosecutor Alistair MacDonald QC about the effect of these injuries would be, the pathologist said: “Given the size of the laceration, copious amounts of blood would go into the abdomen.
“Every time your heart beats this blood is coming up. It would be like cutting a hole in a hosepipe. There would be immediate symptoms, immediate hypoglycemic shock. Immediate distress, cardiac arrest and total circulatory failure a few minutes later.
“The child would go grey, go floppy, slipping into unconsciousness with abnormal breathing, then cardiac arrest.
“I’d be very surprised if anyone could survive such an injury. These injuries were clearly caused by blunt trauma to the abdomen during an assault.”
He continued: “When a blow is dealt to the front of the abdomen, such as in this case, the organs are compressed against the spine, resulting in this injury.
“Possible causes include a punch, kick or stamp delivered to the front of the abdomen.
“The blow or blows were delivered with a severe degree of force which were wholly incompatible with the normal handling of a child or activities in daily living.”
The trial continues.
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