'Beaten' baby died with 50 wounds

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A baby who died with 50 separate injuries was so badly beaten by his mother's boyfriend he looked "like the Elephant Man," a court heard.

Andrew Lloyd, 23, denies murder. Rebecca Louise Lewis, 21, of Townhill, Swansea, the mother of Aaron Gilbert, 13 months, denies familial homicide.

It is the first familial homicide charge in Wales, allowing people to be prosecuted for failing to intervene to protect a child from domestic abuse.

The Swansea Crown Court case continues.

Paul Lewis QC, prosecuting, said Mr Lloyd systematically abused the boy, and Ms Lewis' inaction had cost her son his life.

Mr Lewis warned the jury to steel themselves for "distressing" photographs of Aaron's injuries during the trial, scheduled to run for six weeks.

Rebecca Lewis should have protected and cared for her son, but she allowed Lloyd's ill treatment of Aaron to continue until eventually her inaction cost him his life Paul Lewis, prosecuting

He said that Aaron had been fit and healthy until the boy's mother had taken up with Mr Lloyd, after the toddler's father, Gareth Gilbert, moved out of the home.

He said Mr Lloyd had declared that he hated the child and had threatened "to smash your little head in".

The court hear that doctors found a "constellation of some 50 injuries" to Aaron's body, including extensive swelling and bruising and significant internal injury to the brain.

Bruising

The injuries included a bite mark to his face. Mr Lewis said the bite mark was significant as Mr Lloyd was recently convicted of biting a man on his face.

The defendant, he said, had a propensity to bite when he was aggressive.

Mr Lewis said: "Andrew Lloyd was responsible for the deliberate infliction of those injuries.

Rebecca Lewis is the first in Wales to be charged with familial homicide

"For a number of weeks he systematically and violently abused the defenceless child and ultimately killed him.

"Rebecca Lewis should have protected and cared for her son but she allowed Lloyd's ill treatment of Aaron to continue until eventually her inaction cost him his life."

The court was told that relatives and neighbours in Townhill began to notice bruising on the little boy "but this was nothing" compared with what was to happen in early May, 2005.

The jury heard that neighbour Rebecca Thrussell saw a large swelling of Aaron's head and half his face covered by bruising. She later described him as looking like the Elephant Man.

Ms Lewis' cousin, Sharon Hurlow, the court heard, made two anonymous calls to Swansea social services, who wrote to Ms Lewis.

She was asked to attend an appointment. It turned out the appointment was booked for the day Aaron was taken to hospital.

However, the letter was sent to the wrong address.

The court heard Mrs Hurlow made a second call to social services the day before the boy was taken to hospital. She was told that "matters were in hand."

The court heard that Aaron died of blunt force injuries to his head after Mr Lloyd was seen to hold him by the ankles and to spin him in circles as the toddler screamed and cried.

He is alleged to have told a neighbour who was watching: "This will toughen him up. I want him to be hard."

The boy died three days later.