The four-year-old brother of a baby girl who suffered multiple fractures to the skull in September was also hospitalised when he was still a baby in 2010 and treated for a skull fracture, the court heard this afternoon.

Court expert Mario Scerri told Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit that although he found nothing abnormal when he examined the boys, aged four and seven, when he checked their hospital records he found this "interesting detail".

According to hospital records, the youngest, who must have been months old, was admitted to hospital in 2010 with a fractured skull. No flags were raised and no alarm bell rang at the time and the injury passed as an accidental one.
However, in this case involving his little sister who is barely a year old, the situation is different as the injuries were "non-accidental".

He was testifying during the compilation of evidence against a 27-year-old man from Żabbar, who cannot be named by court order. He stands charged with the attempted murder of his partner’s 11-month-old child when he allegedly threw her into a cot at their Ħamrun home early on September 12.

Dr Scerri said the girl had a fractured femur and bruising to both knees. She also had a fractured skull and blood between the skull and the brain and also had blood behind the eyes. The injuries were compatible to the shaken baby syndrome, followed by a heavy impact, all non-accidental.

Paediatrician Mariella Mangion testified that she too had seen the hospital records involving the baby girl's younger brother. This, she explained, was a hairline fracture that could be both accidental or non-accidental. No investigations were carried out on this injury.

Dr Mangion also said that she saw fluid in the brain that could be related to a "past shaking incident". She said she had examined all three children and found signs of negligence. The children "stank" and were very dirty.

Asked about the present state of the child, Dr Mangion said the girl was developing well and that this was "age- appropriate". However, she said doctors could not tell, at this stage, whether the child will develop a slight disability.

The case continues in January.

Police Inspector Sylvana Briffa prosecuted while lawyer Joseph Mizzi appeared for the man.