Baby's skull 'shattered' as parents 'smoked cigarettes' while nurses tried to save him

The parents of a newborn baby found with catastrophic injuries in his hospital cot went outside for a cigarette while nurses fought to save his life, a court has heard. Brendon Staddon, just two weeks old, was discovered with his skull "shattered" and injuries across his body while in the special care baby unit at Yeovil District Hospital on March 5 last year.

His parents, Daniel Gunter, 27, and Sophie Staddon, 23, are on trial at Bristol Crown Court, accused of murder and of causing or allowing his death. Prosecutor Mr Charles Row KC told jurors that Ms Staddon had alerted staff after saying her son felt cold, prompting them to check on him urgently. Mr Row said: "Staff found him lying in his cot with his baby grow open.

"They immediately saw that he wasn't just cold but that he had suffered catastrophic injuries.

"In plain language, his head had been crushed so as to shatter his skull. He was badly bruised from head to toe, with deep scratches in his neck.

"He was later found to have, amongst other injuries, a broken neck, a broken jaw, broken legs, broken ankles and broken wrists."

As medics carried Brendon's "limp, lifeless body" to the resuscitation area and began CPR, the baby's parents walked outside for a cigarette and did not return, the jury was told. They were arrested outside the hospital shortly afterwards.

The court heard concerns had already been raised before Brendon's death about the couple's behaviour, including a "lack of emotional warmth." Social services and Mr Gunter's family had reportedly flagged issues.

After Brendon was born on February 20, 2024, efforts were made to persuade Ms Staddon to remain at the hospital, but she returned to the temporary accommodation she shared with Mr Gunter.

While on the ward, Mr Gunter ignored nurses' advice, removing Brendon from his incubator without permission, overstimulating him, and removing his nasogastric feeding tube.

Mr Row said the jury must understand the "sheer brutality" of the fatal injuries.

A post-mortem found Brendon had died from "blunt force impact(s) head injury" and "multiple non-accidental injuries to the head."

Mr Row said: "There was hardly a part of his body that was spared."

Pathologist Dr Roger Malcolmson said the injuries suggested a "severe crush injury - like a cathode ray type television falling on a child's head."

At around 3am on the day of Brendon's death, Mr Gunter had asked staff for milk. Roughly half an hour later, a nurse checked in on the couple.

Mr Row said: "His reply did not seem natural to her.

"He seemed excited, his response was unusually animated, and he was nodding exaggeratedly.

"She thought later that it was as if he didn't want her to go over to her."

Just after 4am, Ms Staddon approached the nurse's station to say Brendon felt cold.

Mr Row said: "Ms Staddon called out to Mr Gunter, 'I don't know if he is alive or not'.

"Mr Gunter said, 'he's fine, babe, he's fine'.

"Ms Staddon was upset and panicking, particularly when she heard that Brendon was not breathing. She replied, 'he's not fine'."

She began "crying hysterically" and wanted to see Brendon, but Mr Gunter told her to "let them do what they need to do."

The couple then walked out of the ward for a cigarette, never returning to check on Brendon.

As he was later led to a police van, Mr Gunter was heard saying: "Promise me, stick together, yeah."

The court also heard Mr Gunter had previously been "violent" towards Ms Staddon and had tried to control her finances and who she spoke to. Their relationship was described as "on, off."

A social worker had told them in January that Brendon would likely be removed from their care upon birth.

Mr Row said: "(The social worker) observed to his surprise was that they seemed much more concerned about their housing situation and what he could do to help with that than they were in the fact that their baby was going to be removed from them."

During a police interview, Mr Gunter said: "All I can say is that I did nothing, either on purpose or by accident, which could have caused this, and nor did Sophie.

"I do not know what the cause of these injuries was."

In her own statement, Ms Staddon said the couple had been arguing, and Mr Gunter had asked for a DNA test. She admitted he could be controlling but denied seeing him harm Brendon.

Mr Row said: "(She said) She did not go back inside (the hospital) because she wanted to wait and see if hospital staff came out to tell her what had happened.

"She thought Brendon was dying, but didn't know why."

He added: "Ms Staddon made a further prepared statement reiterating that she had not done anything to harm Brendon and that she did not know that he was being harmed by anyone, saying that if she thought it was happening, she would have told a nurse.

"She would have asked for help to get rid of Mr Gunter if she thought he had been harming Brendon."

Both Mr Gunter and Ms Staddon, of no fixed address, deny the charges. The trial continues.