Coronial inquest examining circumstances leading up to Melbourne toddler's death


Toddler found dead in his cot and lying on a pillow covered in vomit had ‘non-accidental injuries’ seen in victims of high-speed car crashes, court hears

  • Coronial inquest examining circumstances leading up to 22-month-old’s death
  • The little boy died after being found unconscious inside cot in Melbourne home 
  • Court heard the boy had drugs in his system and fractures to his wrist and ribs 

A toddler who died after being found unconscious inside his cot had traces of drugs in his system and internal injuries similar to those caused by ‘high speed’ road crashes, a coronial inquest has heard.  

The 22-month-old boy was rushed to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital on February 19, 2015 after his mother’s partner discovered him laying on a pillow covered in vomit. He was pronounced dead the next day. 

A port-mortem examination found the boy had gone into cardiac respiratory arrest but the cause of his death was unable to be determined. 

The circumstances leading up to his death are now the subject of a coronial inquest by Victoria’s Deputy State Coroner Caitlin English, along with previous emergency hospital visits and children protection measures, NCA Newswire reported. 

A coronial inquest in Victoria is examining the circumstances leading up to the death of a 22-month-old baby in Melbourne in 2015 (stock image)

A coronial inquest in Victoria is examining the circumstances leading up to the death of a 22-month-old baby in Melbourne in 2015 (stock image)

The Coroners Court of Victoria on Tuesday heard how the boy had internal bleeding, suffered an injury to his testicles three days before dying, had weeks-old fractures to his wrist and ribs and trace levels of methylamphetamine and amphetamine. 

Forensic pathologist Dr Yeliena Baber, who performed the boy’s autopsy, told the court the bleeding found on the boy’s abdominal membrane was commonly caused by ‘high speed’ road accidents where seat belts are in use. 

Dr Baber also told the court there was ‘quite a lot’ of dark purple bruising on the boy’s testicles and the injury was ‘relatively recent’. 

She said it was unlikely the boy’s toddler brother caused the injury ‘in the normal rough and tumble of siblings’, although it was ‘possible’. 

‘It’s not from just doing normal routine stuff no – you’d see little boys going to the emergency room all the time,’ Dr Baber told the court.

Forensic toxicologist Dimitri Gerostamoulos told the court the presence of drugs in the boy’s hair, blood and urine ‘mean that they have to have been ingested’. 

The 22-month-old boy was rushed to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne (pictured) after being found unresponsiveness inside his cot

The 22-month-old boy was rushed to the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne (pictured) after being found unresponsiveness inside his cot

The court heard how the boy was taken to hospital in a separate incident three months before his death, where he had presented as ‘floppy’.

The partner of the boy’s mother had found the toddler with baby wipes in his mouth, before taking him to hospital. 

Dr Timothy Cain told the court weeks-old fractures the boy had to his wrist and  broken ribs were ‘non-accidental inflicted injuries’.

He said broken ribs require ‘significant’ force and were not common in young children.   

The coronial inquest continues on Wednesday. 

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