A mother and father caused or allowed the death of their seven-week-old baby girl who died after suffering a catalogue of catastrophic injuries, a court has heard.
Lee Davison and Jessica Hopkinson, the sole carers of Kristal Davison, both deny harming the baby, who died from a head injury after at least two “episodes of violence or trauma”.
Kristal had fractures to her ribs and legs and injuries to her eyes caused over a number of weeks before her death, Leeds Crown Court heard.
Julian Goose QC, prosecuting, said: “Kristal was subjected to at least two, possibly more, episodes of violence or trauma in her short life.”
He added: “Both defendants admit that Kristal was in their care at all material times. How she came to suffer so many injuries with such a catastrophic effect is only known by the two defendants. Both of them deny causing any injury to Kristal.”
Davison, 28, called an ambulance on the morning of April 12 last year reporting that Kristal was gasping for breath.
When paramedics arrived, the baby was found to be pale, limp and lifeless and was taken to hospital, where she died the following day.
A post-mortem examination found bruising and grazes to her head and face, internal bruising to her scalp, two distinct trauma injuries to her skull, bleeding to the brain and eyes, healing rib fractures and healing fractures to the left thigh and shin bone.
Mr Goose said: “Kristal was subjected to at least two and quite possibly more episodes of violence or trauma at different times to different parts of her body, including her head, ribcage and left leg.
“The injuries relating to the brain, the eyes and bleeding to the surface of the brain were indicative of violent shaking. The fractures to the skull establish that there was a significant blunt force applied to the head. The fractures to the ribs and to the left leg established that she had been subjected to violence to those parts of her body.”
Both defendants were arrested and interviewed by police.
Mr Goose said Davison and Hopkinson, from Ashleigh Avenue, Pontefract, both refused to tell the truth to police.
During interviews, each said they did not know anything about the injuries to their daughter and claimed the other must have harmed the baby.