The man accused of inflicting the 13 broken ribs and broken collarbone is a prominent sportsman who has pleaded not guilty to injuring with reckless disregard (and an alternative assault charge).
The defendant, who has name suppression, allegedly caused the damage to the infant during a short period while the child’s mother was at the gym in July 2023.
The district court has heard he became upset when he had trouble settling the child and called the woman to return home to assist.
Both he and the baby’s mother said they were shocked a few days later when the fractures were diagnosed in hospital, and had no idea how the bone breaks had been caused.
Over the last nine days of the trial, the jury has heard from a slew of medical professionals who have given their opinion on the case.
Today, paediatric radiologist Dr Russell Metcalfe weighed in, reaching the same conclusion as other Crown experts.
Given there had been no reports of an accident involving the baby, he believed there was one logical explanation.
“There’s no evidence of an alternative diagnosis that would explain these fractures. In my opinion, imaging findings are almost certainly the result of abusive trauma,” Dr Metcalfe said.
The Starship Hospital staff member, who had spent more than 30 years in the field of paediatric radiology, took the jury through an extensive Powerpoint presentation featuring his assessment of various x-rays and scans.
He said the fact the child did not present with bruising “means nothing”, and that most with such injuries did not.
Dr Metcalfe pointed out internal swelling visible in scans.
“It would’ve been very sore,” the witness told the court.
He said it was significant the rib fractures on the child’s left side were all lined up.
“The child has been gripped, usually because they’re unsettled or crying and... they get squeezed basically,” Dr Metcalfe said.
“You’ve got a big adult hand and a small child and it’s the pressure from the squeezing that gives you a row.”
He said it was impossible to specifically date the injuries but was confident they would have occurred within 10 days of the x-ray.
There was a suggestion earlier in the trial that the child’s mother may have rolled on him in her sleep.
She told the court in the first week of evidence that she did not recall a specific incident but could not rule it out.
However, yesterday forensic pathologist Dr Leslie Anderson said it would “highly unusual” for such an episode to cause those fractures.
"Accidental rib fractures are very rare due to the pliability of infants’ bones and the force required to fracture them," she said.
"Non-accidental injury is thought to be the most common explanation for rib fractures in infants."
At the trial’s outset counsel Anne Stevens, KC, indicated there were other viable explanations for the infant’s injuries and several medical experts are expected to give evidence for the defence next week.
