Father states toddler’s bruises were from falls, court informed

A court has been told that the father of a toddler who died from a head injury believed his son’s bruises were sustained during falls. Charlie Roberts was 22 months old when he collapsed at his Darlington home in January with the “catastrophic” injury, Teesside Crown Court heard. His mother, Paula Roberts, 41, denies a charge of child neglect, and her partner, Christopher Stockton, 38, denies murder and child abuse. In an interview presented to the jury, Charlie’s father, Barry Greenwell, stated that he frequently observed bruises on his son but thought they were caused by the child bumping into furniture while learning to walk. Prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC asserted that Charlie had suffered “multiple injuries” in the weeks and months preceding his death and had been “cruelly neglected.” He claimed Charlie died after Mr. Stockton had “shaken or thrown him with violence.” In a police interview recorded on 12 January, Mr. Greenwell mentioned often seeing “small bruises” on his son’s body, including his head, ribs, and chest. The 42-year-old, who had a brief relationship with Ms. Roberts, explained that he did not report the injuries because he feared his contact with his son would be terminated. Under cross-examination, when asked if he suspected his son was being ill-treated, he replied that he did not. The court also heard that Mr. Greenwell and his partner took 700 photographs of Charlie during his weekly visits. Asked if he believed the pictures showed Charlie was “happy, clean, tidy, well-presented and well-dressed,” he confirmed that he did. Ms. Roberts, who was employed at an indoor climbing centre in Newton Aycliffe, County Durham, began a relationship with Mr. Stockton in January 2023. He regularly visited her residence on Frosterley Drive and moved in with her days before Charlie’s death. The court was informed that the accused pair maintained Charlie’s bruises were accidental and resulted from “everyday occurrences.” The trial, which is expected to last for up to five weeks, is ongoing.