A PAEDIATRICIAN has told the trial of a man accused of murdering his former fiancee’s baby that the child had suffered severe brain damage.
Philip Doyle (34), Tinakilly, Aughrim, Co Wicklow, has pleaded not guilty at the Central Criminal Court to murdering 3½- month-old Ross Murphy at Creagh Demesne, Gorey, Co Wexford, on April 5th, 2005.
The court has heard the baby was initially taken to Wexford General Hospital on March 31st, 2005, because he was “lifeless” and getting sick on the bed.
The baby was kept in for observation because of a rash on his neck and released on Sunday, April 3rd, but returned to hospital that evening in cardiac arrest.
He was rushed to Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital Crumlin in the early hours of the next morning but died the next day.
Dr Colm Costigan, a consultant paediatrician at Crumlin, told Paul Carroll, prosecuting, that the baby was admitted to the intensive care unit and had gone through extensive resuscitation.
He said the child’s pupils were fixed and dilated and that he had already suffered severe brain damage at that stage.
Dr Costigan told the court there was a bruise on the ear, which was unusual in a baby of that age.There were bruises on the front and back of the chest and he arranged for photographs to be taken of these. Dr Costigan also told the court an examination of the baby’s eyes showed severe bilateral haemorrhages.
Consultant ophthalmic surgeon Dr Donal Brosnan told Tom O’Connell SC, prosecuting, that he was asked to examine the baby on April 4th, 2005, and found “very extensive” retinal haemorrhages in both eyes. He also said he found a fold in the retina, which was an unusual finding and would be caused by trauma.
Under cross-examination by Giollaiosa Ó Lideadha SC, defending, he agreed the trauma could be caused by shaking or direct impact.
Dr Michael McDermott told Mr Ó Lideadha he carried out various tests and found extensive bronchial pneumonia which, in the absence of other findings, was sufficient to cause death on its own.
The trial has already heard Mr Doyle originally gave an account that the baby had been shaking his head from side to side.
Yesterday Det Garda Sgt Barry Butler told Mr Carroll that he spoke to Mr Doyle in Crumlin about what happened to the baby. He said he told him Ross had been whipping his head from side to side when he discovered him and he put water on him to try to resuscitate him.
But in a statement to gardaí on April 27th, 2005, Mr Doyle said he tripped on the corner of a mat and fell on a timber floor with the child in his arms, the court has heard.
Consultant paediatric radiologist Dr Clare Brenner told the court she performed a CT scan and found brain swelling but no fracture of the skull.
Consultant paediatrician Dr John Carson, who saw Ross at Wexford General Hospital on April 2nd, 2005, said considering the damage done to the brain, he thought it “surprising” there was no skull fracture.
Dr Carson agreed with Mr Ó Lideadha he had no qualification in pathology and had only given evidence in one other trial.
State Pathologist Prof Marie Cassidy previously told the court she concluded the baby died from brain trauma from which he would not have recovered.