QLD: Baby had 12 month history of apparent abuse, court told

AAP General News (Australia)
02-15-1999
QLD: Baby had 12 month history of apparent abuse, court told

By Suzanne Klotz

BRISBANE, Feb 15 AAP - A baby who was allegedly hanged by the neck with a piece of rope by
his mother's boyfriend, had a history of probable physical abuse over the previous 12 months,
a magistrates court was told today.

Scott John Kane, 23, unemployed, of Aminya Street, Mansfield, on Brisbane's southside, is
charged with the torture and attempted murder of a 15 month-old baby, whose name has been
suppressed.

Kane is alleged to have hanged the baby by the neck with a piece of rope on November 11
last year, leaving him with injuries around his neck and haemorrhages in his eyes.

The committal hearing was told police discovered an injured child when they were called by
neighbours to a domestic dispute at Greenwood Street, Wishart, in Brisbane's southern suburbs,
in the early hours of the morning.

A child abuse file on the boy had been opened in December 1997, noting injuries to his
penis, and subsequently included two fractures to his leg, a shoulder fracture, seizures, and
two eye haemorrhages.

Dr Anthony Lamont, a paediatric radiologist, told the court it was "highly probable the
injuries were deliberate acts".

"All the signs are highly suggestive of abuse," Dr Lamont said.

He said the leg injuries were from forceful deliberate bending of the knee and the shoulder
injury may have been from lifting the baby by the arm and swinging him around.

He said he had "made up his mind" that the shoulder injury was an "abusive fracture".

The court was told that no real explanations had been given by the boy's mother for many of
the injuries.

However, Kane has freely admitted accidentally breaking the child's leg when he grabbed him
as he went to dive off a bed.

Peter Shields, for Kane, said when the police were called to the house the injured baby was
screaming.

"The child's got these injuries that caused a lot of pain, and the child's crying all the
time, and according to the mother the child was asleep after it happened," Mr Shields said.

Mr Shields said even though his client admitted in his interview with police that he did
not get on with the child, he had made no admissions and maintained he had blacked out during
the relevant period from a combination of anti-depressant drugs and bourbon.

Investigating officer, Senior Constable Benjamin Smith, said the evidence against Kane
included the child's mother saying she had seen him outside the child's bedroom putting a
piece of rope in his backpack.

The rope was usually used outside as a clothesline.

The committal hearing will conclude tomorrow.

AAP smk/was/de

KEYWORD: KANE

1999 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.