“Impossible” that fatal injuries to 11-week-old boy came from anyone but father, jury told

Injuries found on an 11-week-old baby boy were consistent with him being shaken, a murder trial jury was told on Thursday.

Martynas Bugaila is alleged to have been killed by his father Haroldas Bugaila at the family’s home in Boston after the defendant threatened to make the boy cry following an argument with the child’s mother.

Jonas Hankin QC, prosecuting, told the jury at Lincoln Crown Court that Martynas suffered catastrophic brain injuries and bleeding of the eyes. He also had some older injuries.

Mr Hankin said: “The pattern of injuries is entirely typical of deliberately inflicted injury particularly shaking with or without impact with a yielding surface.

“Martynas would have collapsed immediately or within seconds of being assaulted such was the severity of his injury. The evidence supports application of a significant degree of force.”

Granville Street, Boston. | Photo: John Aron

The prosecutor told the jury that the issues in the case were how the baby’s death was caused, who was the perpetrator and whether the perpetrator had intended harm.

Mr Hankin said: “The prosecution says there is overwhelming evidence of traumatic injury. Not only is there no medical cause for the boy’s injuries but there is clear evidence of mechanical trauma that required force.”

“The defendant’s position is that he is not guilty of assaulting the child at any time. He says he didn’t inflict the injuries and he didn’t see anybody else do so.

“The prosecution say it is impossible that it was some-one other than the defendant who inflicted these injuries.”

The jury has been told that Martynas, who was born nine weeks prematurely, suffered fatal injuries while he was with his father in an upstairs bedroom at the family home in Boston on March 27, 2019.

Mr Hankin said 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 baby.

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.”

Martynas was taken by taxi with his mother to the Pilgrim Hospital and later transferred to the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham.

He was subsequently diagnosed as having suffered a catastrophic brain injury which was unsurvivable. The decision was made to withdraw his life support and he passed away on April 2, 2019.

Haroldas Bugaila, 29, a factory worker, of Granville Street, Boston, denies the murder of Martynas Bugaila on April 2, 2019 and denies causing grievous bodily harm to him between February 5 and March 15, 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.