Murder accused takes the stand
A FATHER accused of murdering his baby son has taken the stand in his trial for the first time today.
A FATHER accused of murdering his baby son has taken the stand in his trial for the first time today.
Duncan Mills, 32, of London Road, Ipswich admitted being violent towards his ex girlfriend Samantha Askew, but said he had not murdered their son Luigi.
During yesterday's hearing at Ipswich Crown Court, Mills said Miss Askew, 23, had complained that the one month old's crying was “doing her head in” before the couple began arguing about hygiene on May 26 last year.
Mills, who has also pleaded not guilty to causing Miss Askew grievous bodily harm said: “She pushed the blanket inside my son's mouth.
“I got up from the chair and I grabbed Samantha by the shoulders and pulled her to the ground. As I was pulling her she was holding on to the radiator. She was over Luigi.”
Mills said the couple had then continued to fight at Miss Askew's father's home in Lanercost Way, Ipswich.
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He said he had punched her and pushed her so she fell on Luigi as well as hitting her with a lump hammer and added that she had threatened him with a knife.
He said: “I'm not making excuses for my behaviour.”
The jury in the case had previously heard that Luigi died because of bleeding from his head and stomach which would have resulted in the collapse of his circulation.
Consultant forensic pathologist Dr Nat Cary said that injuries were consistent with grabbing and smacking and that Luigi had bruising which was probably caused by “blunt force impact”.
The court had heard at a previous hearing how a medical expert backed defence claims that the baby was killed by a tragic accident.
Dr Waney Squire said that greater force than shaking would have been needed to cause the damage to Luigi's brain stem.
She added the impact of a fall followed by a chair falling on top of him and then the adults falling on top of the chair would have caused “much greater force.”
Last week a former girlfriend of Mills, Michelle Hurd, said she had once seen Mills smack a child so hard that he fell to the floor.
Ms Hurd described Mills as “controlling” and “aggressive”.
The trial continues.
