Mother accused of murdering 16-month-old baby son

A mother who gave her newborn baby to social services for adoption is accused of going on to murder him after she changed her mind and he was handed back, a court heard today.

Joanne Mallinder, 37, allegedly shook three-month-old Jack so hard he suffered massive brain damage.

Paramedics were called when the infant - who was later found to have six fractures to his arms and legs - stopped breathing.

He was resuscitated but died 13 months later from his injuries.



Prosecutor Stephen Harvey QC, told a jury at Basildon Crown Court that Jack's injuries were consistent with shaken baby syndrome.

'These life-threatening injuries, brain injuries, and most certainly one of the fractures were inflicted by Mrs Mallinder,' he said.

'Whether Joanne Mallinder acted out of an intense sense of frustration, whether she was momentarily angry with Jack, or whether she was in a state of some desperation she picked him up and dealt with him in such a way and with such force that he became unconscious.'

Gareth Cox, Mallinder's partner, told the court how she had called him on February 13, 2006, to say their son had stopped breathing.

'She was screaming down the phone. I got back as quickly as I could,' said 32-year-old Mr Cox, who like Mallinder also works at a shipping firm.

'Jack wasn't breathing. There was fresh blood on his nose, he was very, very pale, his lips were starting to turn blue and he looked very poorly.'

Mr Cox said he gave the baby mouth to mouth and chest compressions until an ambulance arrived and took him to Basildon Hospital.

Jack was later transferred to Great Ormond Street Hospital for children in London.

He added: 'She told me he had woken up, he was restless and grizzly, she tried to give him some water to settle him. She noticed he was making gasping, rasping noises, struggling to breathe.'

Mr Cox, who has a daughter from a previous relationship, told the jury he and Mallinder had not planned to have a baby.

Mallinder, he said, had previously suffered 13 miscarriages and a stillborn baby, as well as post-natal depression when she had a daughter with her husband, Mark, from whom she was separated.

Mr Cox added financial problems, lack of space after moving into a bedsit, and Mallinder's problems with depression, bulimia and low self-esteem meant they decided on adoption when she fell pregnant, although they changed their minds when Jack was born.

'I think we were telling each other what we thought the other wanted to hear. In all honestly I think we both made up our minds to keep him the moment he was born,' he said.

Jack remained in hospital for two weeks after his birth as he weighed just 4lb 10oz and social services then put him into foster care.

He was returned to the couple after a fortnight but Mr Cox said Mallinder worried about bonding with the baby 'due to the fact he had spent his first four weeks away from us'.

But when Jack came to live with them in their flat in Tilbury, Essex, Mr Cox said: 'She (Mallinder) was coping remarkably well. She was a little bit up and down due to post-natal depression.

'I was under the impression she had suffered with post-natal depression before. And she had suffered with depression because of her bulimia.'

He said Jack was a good baby who 'ate well, slept well' and Mallinder gave him massages every night to help the bonding process.

The night before paramedics were called, he added, she had gone to bed 'with the hump' after they had an argument and during the night their son was 'grizzly' and had woken up more than normal.

The following day, Mr Cox said, he cared for Jack until Mallinder came home and then went out in the evening before she rang to say their child was not breathing.

Mallinder denies murder.

The trial continues.

13 miscarriages and 1 stillborn? Hasnt she heard of contraception? Then when she has one she kills it. She's gotta have a few screws loose.

This is just shocking, it gets worse and worse this world.

I couldn't believe what I was reading! I am really shocked that Social Services allowed this baby to go home after just 2 weeks. it seems obvious, to me, that this woman was very depressed and not really able to look after a baby...
Why wasn't she watched more closely?

A TROUBLED mum who caused her son's death after violently shaking him has been jailed for four years.


FOUR years??????????? I just dont believe this!

http://www.basildonrecorder.co.uk/news/4143346.Updated__Mother_jailed_for_killing_baby/