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A mother and her partner accused of murder over the death of a nine-month-old allegedly ‘forgot’ about the baby during a three-day drug binge, a Brisbane court has heard.
The body of Dexter Wilton was found by paramedics inside a property at Raceview in Ipswich, on June 21, 2019.
Medical evidence found he died of dehydration and malnutrition with prosecutors saying evidence suggested he was left alone without food and water for at least 21 hours before he died, the Supreme Court was told on Wednesday.
Dexter’s mother Natalie Jade Whitehead was charged about 18 months later with murder and interfering with a corpse over the baby’s death.
Her partner at the time Andrew William Campbell allegedly lived in the Ipswich house when the child died.
A mother and her former partner accused of murder over the death of a nine-month-old allegedly ‘forgot’ about the baby during a three-day drug binge in 2019, a Brisbane court has heard
The body of Dexter Wilton was found by paramedics inside a property at Ipswich, on June 21, 2019
Campbell and Whitehead had been in a relationship for at least four weeks at the time Dexter died, the court was told.
They were no longer together when both were arrested.
Prosecutor Mel Wilson said during Campbell’s application for bail that the now 42-year-old is accused of neglecting the child.
The Crown will argue Campbell had a duty of care for the child, although Whitehead was the main carer.
From material submitted there was no allegation Campbell had been violent towards the child, the court was told.
Ms Wilson said prosecutors will allege Campbell and Whitehead were on a three or four-day drug binge and ‘just forgot’ about the baby, causing his death.
The Crown also argued Campbell ‘deliberately avoided police for over two weeks’ before his arrest in January last year.
But defence barrister Damian Walsh said Campbell had no duty to the child.
Department of Child Safety documents showed there had been earlier complaints about Whitehead, he told the court.
Andrew Campbell was later charged with the child’s murder – his defence lawyer has argued he had ‘no duty of care’ to the child
There were dog and cat faeces in the house which was a ‘wreck’, Mr Walsh added.
‘She is recognised as having either a personality disorder or a drug addiction which results in her failing to care for her (child),’ he said.
Mr Walsh argued the case against Campbell was ‘particularly weak’ as Whitehead was responsible for the baby’s care.
Justice Peter Davis will hand down his decision at a date yet to be decided.
Source: DailyMail
