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Elsie Scully-Hicks: Murder accused denies injuring baby | Elsie Scully-Hicks: Murder accused denies injuring baby |
(about 1 hour later) | |
A man accused of murdering his adopted 18-month-old daughter has denied deliberately injuring her. | A man accused of murdering his adopted 18-month-old daughter has denied deliberately injuring her. |
Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, of Delabole, Cornwall, denies inflicting catastrophic injuries on Elsie Scully-Hicks at their Cardiff home. | Matthew Scully-Hicks, 31, of Delabole, Cornwall, denies inflicting catastrophic injuries on Elsie Scully-Hicks at their Cardiff home. |
She died on 29 May 2016. Six months before her death she was treated for two breaks in her right leg. | |
When asked by defence barrister Robert O'Sullivan if he deliberately caused those injures he responded: "No." | When asked by defence barrister Robert O'Sullivan if he deliberately caused those injures he responded: "No." |
He said he witnessed her fall in the kitchen and immediately went to console her. | He said he witnessed her fall in the kitchen and immediately went to console her. |
Elsie sustained two breaks in the incident - one to her lower femur just above the knee and another in her lower shin. | |
He also said he was not responsible for a bruise Elsie had in December 2015, adding it had been caused when she had banged her head when a magnetic door closure gave way in a play kitchen. | |
He was then asked about an incident on 10 March 2016. He said Elsie fell down the stairs after he failed to lock the safety gate properly. | |
He said he was arranging washing in a bedroom at the time. | |
"The next thing I could hear was the gate opening and I turned, then all I could see was her falling through from the top of the stairs," he said. | |
"I put the washing down and ran out and got to the top of the stairs, and Elsie was tumbling down the stairs. | |
"She was going head over heels down the stairs. | |
"I followed her to the bottom and by the time I got there she was leant on the floor looking back at me just motionless. She didn't respond and didn't cry, she just lay there. | |
"I picked up the phone which was by the front door and phoned for the ambulance." | |
He described Elsie vomiting and him accompanying her to hospital in an ambulance. | |
"Everything had overcome me by that point," he said. | |
"I was really upset and I think the reality of what just happened hit me. | |
"I told the doctor that I clearly hadn't locked the gate properly and Elsie had pulled herself up and fallen out and down the stairs." | |
Less than three months later, Elsie was rushed to hospital in an unresponsive state after a 999 call was made by the defendant saying he had found her that way on the living room floor. | |
A CT scan showed she had bleeding on the brain, and post-mortem examinations revealed she had also suffered broken ribs, a fractured left femur and a fractured skull. | A CT scan showed she had bleeding on the brain, and post-mortem examinations revealed she had also suffered broken ribs, a fractured left femur and a fractured skull. |
There was also haemorrhaging within both of Elsie's retinas - associated with inflicted trauma or injury. | There was also haemorrhaging within both of Elsie's retinas - associated with inflicted trauma or injury. |
The court has previously heard her injuries were "very typical" of babies who have been shaken. | The court has previously heard her injuries were "very typical" of babies who have been shaken. |
Mr Scully-Hicks also told the court: "I always saw a family with two children." | Mr Scully-Hicks also told the court: "I always saw a family with two children." |
He said he and his husband Craig talked about having a family "pretty early on", adding: "We were both of the mind we wanted children. It's something we could agree on very early on." | He said he and his husband Craig talked about having a family "pretty early on", adding: "We were both of the mind we wanted children. It's something we could agree on very early on." |
He added: "We had requested [a baby] as young as possible. We wanted to see and witness as much as we could. | He added: "We had requested [a baby] as young as possible. We wanted to see and witness as much as we could. |
"We wanted to be there when they took their first step and wanted to be there when they said their first word - we wanted to see all of that." | "We wanted to be there when they took their first step and wanted to be there when they said their first word - we wanted to see all of that." |
The trial continues. | The trial continues. |