A dad on trial over the death of his baby daughter told a court a DNA test was carried out as he was worried the child was not his.
Lee Davison, 28, and the baby’s mother Jessica Hopkinson, 28, are accused of causing or allowing the death of seven-week-old Kristal. They both plead not guilty to the charge.
Kristal died in hospital from “catastrophic” head injuries hours after paramedics were called to the couple’s home on Ashleigh Avenue, Pontefract, on Thursday April 12 last year.
During cross-examination by Hopkinson’s barrister, Alistair MacDonald QC, Davison admitted that he had not been sure whether Kristal was his daughter.
Mr MacDonald said: “Has a DNA test been done with Kristal?” He replied: “Yes.”
The barrister continued: “Kristal was your daughter wasn’t she?” Davison said: “Yes.”
Mr MacDonald then asked: “Mr Hopkinson (Jessica’s father) said when you were speaking to him about not being sure whether the baby was yours or not that it had been eating away at you. Is that right?”
Davison said: “Obviously it was, yes.” Davison added that the DNA test had been done through the police after Kristal’s death.
Mr MacDonald said: “Was it eating at you and niggling at you all the way through Kristal’s short life?”
Davison said: “It was niggling at me up until Kristal was born but then I changed my mind.”
Mr MacDonald accused Davison of making up a “pack of lies” about Hopkinson harming Kristal. He denied that he had.
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