Jury in trial of a Doncaster mother and her partner accused of murdering her toddler has begun considering verdicts
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A Sheffield Crown Court trial has heard how Sarah O’Brien, aged 33, of Bosworth Road, Doncaster, and her partner Martin Currie, aged 36, of no fixed abode, have denied murdering Ms O’Brien’s two-year-old son Keigan O’Brien in January after he died from head injuries.
Jason Pitter QC, prosecuting, said Keigan suffered a brain bleed, possibly from having his head hit against a wall or the floor, and over the previous weeks he had suffered a broken spine, broken ribs and a broken arm due to twisting.
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Hide AdMiss O’Brien claimed she had returned home on January 8 after taking Keigan’s siblings to school when Martin Currie called her upstairs later that morning and she saw the toddler on his bedroom floor and she called 999 and the youngster was pronounced dead on January 9.
O’Brien has told the court how she was “devastated” when her partner called out and she found her son lifeless in his bedroom.
Katherine Goddard QC, defending O’Brien, said Martin Currie had been trying CPR before police and paramedics did the same on their arrival before Keigan was taken to Doncaster Royal Infirmary and then Sheffield Children’s Hospital where he died the following day.
Christopher Tehrani QC, defending Mr Currie, claimed Mr Currie had confronted Miss O’Brien when he found Keigan much earlier that morning but Mr Currie had been prepared to concoct a story to save her.
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Hide AdMr Currie said he would never hit a child and claimed he had never hit Keigan and although he had been in love with Sarah O’Brien, that changed after he became aware of the extent of the injuries the toddler had suffered.
Sarah O’Brien and Martin Currie have also denied causing cruelty to a child by ill-treatment or neglect, and both face individual counts of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The jury went out on Thursday, November 5, to consider its verdicts and is continuing with deliberations today, November 9.
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