Death trial father hears son’s injuries described

A pathologist told a jury yesterday how a five-year-old boy died from severe head and abdominal injuries.

Haroon Bhatti was taken to Pinderfields Hospital on January 23 after his father Pazeer Ahmed called paramedics saying he had found his son unresponsive and cold in bed.

Ahmed, 34 of Aberford Road, Wakefield, denies the murder of his son but has admitted manslaughter.

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Dr Brian Rodgers who examined the boy told Leeds Crown Court he found a “Y” shaped fracture of the skull, there was internal bleeding and his brain was swollen, indicating “considerable force applied to the head.”

“I think we have to accept this is severe force to fracture the skull of a five-year-old.”

He told Julian Goose, QC, prosecuting, it had not simply been caused by a low fall, adding “this is significant impact on the back of the head.

“In a child like this it is the sort of impact we see in a road traffic collision or the impact in a fall from a height such as a balcony.”

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He said it could not have been caused by a slap or a smack, nor on a carpeted or cushioned floor. Dr Rodgers said he believed the impact was more likely to be against a wall or another hard surface.

The youngster also had fractured ribs, fresh injuries to his arms and legs, including one “curious triangular injury” which looked like a burn and crusted over older abrasions on his foot.

His abdominal injuries were extensive including bleeding within the abdominal cavity, bruising to the diaphragm and bleeding around the pancreas and liver.

Dr Rodgers said he believed there had to be severe trauma to cause such a “cluster of injuries”.

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“They are like crushing type injuries where the abdominal structures have been squashed against the spine.”

He said one forceful punch could have caused them or possibly someone kneeling on the abdomen “but considerable trauma when you have damage to these deep well protected organs.”

Forensic scientist Samantha Warna told the jury a collection of hairs was recovered from the bathroom wall at Ahmed’s home, which had been impacted into the plaster near to an oval or egg shape indentation. One of the hairs matched Haroon’s DNA.

The trial continues.

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