Brian Saunders on trial for violent murder of baby son

March 17, 2009 by Baby Chums
Filed under: News

Jurors have heard how Brian Saunders, 31, violently attacked Baby Rilee who was only one month old, after a jealous rage that the baby boy was getting more of his girlfriend’s attention.

Brian Saunders inflicted injuries to Baby Rilee that left him with a fractured skull after banging his head against a hard surface and brain damage as a result of shaking.

Alicia Clark, the babies mother, 19, phoned for an ambulance after noticing that Rilee was unwell. However, he later died in hospital.

Martin Edmunds QC prosecuting, told the court that Mr Saunders was violent and “needy” and would hit Alicia Clark whilst she was pregnant.

“The injuries were of a level where a child has fallen from a height of one storey or been involved in a car crash.”

Baby Rilee also had a fractured knee, caused by: “gripping or twisting” with a force so strong that the cartilage was “sheared off”.

Brian Saunders from Cornwall, denies the charge of murder and an alternative charge of manslaughter.

Mr Saunders claims that the injuries may have taken place when he accidentally bumped the child’s heard against a cupboard while feeding him in the early hours.

The court heard that Mr Saunders has a previous conviction for child cruelty after he fractured the skull of an eight-week-old child.

He was originally charged with committing grievous bodily harm but the prosecution accepted a plea of guilty to child cruelty.

The trial at Exeter Crown Court continues.