An 11-week-old baby boy found lifeless in his home was murdered by his own father, a jury at Lincoln Crown Court was told today, Wednesday, July 7.
Martynas Bugaila, who had been born nine weeks prematurely, had been briefly left with his father Haroldas Bugaila in an upstairs bedroom at the family home in Boston when his father suddenly shouted for help saying “Come. There’s something wrong.”
Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, told the jury that just minutes earlier the father was involved in an argument with the child’s mother Aliona after she confiscated his mobile phone because she believed he was playing on the phone rather than concentrating on looking after the boy.
Mr Hankin said “Aliona ran upstairs and looked in the cot. Martynas was on his back. He looked completely white. His eyes were closed and he wasn’t breathing.”
The mother carried the baby to a changing table and tried to resuscitate the boy using a method she was shown at hospital.
“She says he was turning blue as she was doing it.”
The defendant dialled 999 but did not manage to complete the call due to language problems.
The child’s mother then rang for a taxi and the child was taken to the Pilgrim Hospital in the town.
Granville Street, Boston. | Photo: John Aron
Mr Hankin said “This case concerns the circumstances surrounding and the events leading to the death of an 11 week old baby boy named Martynas Bugaila.
“The prosecution say that the fatal injury sustained by Martynas was deliberately inflicted by his natural father Haroldas Bugaila. The likely mechanism in this case is shaking with or without an impact against a yielding surface.”
Mr Hankin said that the baby was later found also to have older injuries which he described as deliberately inflicted.
He said there was “significant tension” in the parents’ relationship and that during previous arguments the defendant made threats to make the boy cry.
The jury was told that the defendant denies assaulting Martynas at any time or in any way.
Haroldas Bugaila, 29, a factory worker, of Granville Street, Boston, denies the murder of Martynas Bugaila on 2 April 2019 and denies causing the baby grievous bodily harm to him between 5 February and 15 March 2019. He also denies further charges of inflicting grievous bodily harm with intent and inflicting grievous bodily harm to another person.
The trial continues and is expected to last for a number of weeks.
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