Adelaide father won’t explain horrific assault on four-month-old twin son that caused permanent brain damage

A father who hurled his four-month-old son against a hard surface, leaving him permanently brain-damaged, clammed up when given the chance to explain what happened.

A young father is unable to explain why he threw his four-month-old son against the wall or floor, leaving him with a horrific and permanent brain injury, a court has heard.

The victim, who is now nearly three years old, is one of twin boys born healthy and without complications.

Now he has cerebral palsy, visual impairment and is only able to crawl at the level of a six-month-old and stand at the level of a 10-month-old.

The 34-year-old father, who The Advertiser is not naming to protect the identity of the victim and his mother, was remanded in custody on Tuesday ahead of sentencing next month.

He pleaded guilty to recklessly causing serious harm on April 20 on the day he was scheduled to stand trial.

During submissions in the District Court this week, Judge Paul Muscat heard a victim impact statement from the child’s mother.

“I feel like the worst mother regarding what happened to my child,” the prosecutor read.

“I wasn’t able to protect my child and was thinking he was in good care of someone I at that time had trust in.

“The regret and the pain will forever stay with me. It is something I know I will never be able to forgive myself for.”

She wrote the child would no longer have a “bright future” and require constant care going forward.

“I am thankful he stayed strong and pulled through after what happened to him,” she wrote.

“If he was able to stay strong and pull through, then I as his mother must do the same.”

The judge and prosecutor agreed that in tragic cases like this a clear message needs to be sent that vulnerable babies must be protected from harm. Stock image.

Ryan Williams, prosecuting, said the incident at Burton on January 20, 2019, was “severe” and would have lifelong consequences.

“He was trusted to protect his son and though it is to state the obvious, it is worth stating: babies are frustrating, fatherhood is stressful, care for infant twins is no doubt at times unimaginably difficult,” he said.

“But it must be remembered and a message must be sent in matters such as this that babies are precious, they are vulnerable and they are entirely dependent on those who provide protection for them.”

Judge Muscat echoed Mr Williams’ statement.

“In these sorts of these cases they may seem obvious but it is important it be publicly stated because children as young as this child are vulnerable and precious,” he said.

The exact circumstances of the incident remain unknown as the father was “unable to talk about the incident” with either police or psychologists.

The injuries the child suffered indicated he was thrown or struck against an object.

“In any event there was a very violent single contact with a hard surface,” Mr Williams said.

The man will be sentenced next month.