Beau Bradshaw death: Father Ayden Bradshaw granted bail over son’s alleged murder

A man accused of murdering his own six-month-old son has been released from custody, as new claims over the little boy’s final moments are revealed in a Rockhampton court.

A man charged with killing his own baby has been released on bail, with a court told the little boy’s body was covered in “dozens of bruises” when he died.

Ayden Jedd Bradshaw is charged with murder and grievous bodily harm over the death of his six-month old son, Beau Frank Bradshaw. He has not entered a plea.

The Mackay baby died on June 4, 2020, two days after his father called emergency services.

Beau was admitted to hospital with “severe brain injuries”, and suffered a perforated bowel that led to a cardiac arrest.

The Rockhampton Supreme Court was told Beau had bruising on his face, torso, limbs and behind his ears, with some “shaped like knuckles and fingertips”, when he died.

The baby’s 27-year-old father had his matter returned to court on Tuesday, where he asked the court to release him on bail after more than two years behind bars on remand.

Beau Bradshaw and father Ayden Bradshaw, who is charged with murder over his son's death in June 2020.

Justice Graeme Crow said there was expert opinion from a paediatrician in relation to the “large number” of bruises on Beau’s body, which “would not be the result of normal infant play”.

He said the doctor indicated the bruises to Beau’s abdomen and back were indicative of fingertip bruising, which resulted from excessive compression in areas it’s common to lift and handle a small child.

“The doctor says it is also possible some of the bruises could be from knuckle imprints from a closed fist,” Justice Crow said.

He said the doctor suggested bruising near the ear could be caused by direct blunt trauma used in movements such as punching, hand slaps, pinching or pulling.

Justice Crow said the bruises could not be aged by the doctor, but he said they usually resolve within two to three weeks.

Crown prosecutor Tiffany Lawrence said the evidence suggested it was unlikely for such injuries to be caused by normal play and interactions.

Beau Bradshaw was covered in ‘fingerprint and knuckle’ bruises and had a perforated bowel and head injuries when he died, a court has been told.

“There is evidence from the mother and other witnesses who had contact with the child in the lead up to June 2 which do account for some of the bruising, but not in particular the ones that are identified by the doctors as being those that are uncommon as a result of childhood play and things of that nature,” she said.
Defence barrister Scott McLennan argued there was an issue as to whether the Crown could prove “beyond a reasonable doubt” that his client caused Beau’s death.

He said the medical evidence “doesn’t establish that the child’s death was caused by any shaking or striking to the head”, or when the abdominal injury that led to a bowel perforation and subsequent cardiac arrest was inflicted.

Mr McLennan said paediatric staff specialist Dr Michalis Yiallourides opined in his initial statement that the abdominal injury was caused days prior to Beau’s arrival at hospital.

The court heard the Crown’s case involved a photograph of Beau with his family on the beach at 10.55am, and Beau’s mother claims he “appeared fine” at 1.33pm when she left to run errands.

Justice Graeme Crow said the Crown’s case indicated the baby went from being fine to “being severely brain damaged” in 27 minutes.

Beau Frank Bradshaw who was found unresponsive at an East Mackay home on Tuesday June 2.

Mr McLennan said another doctor suggested “the brain injury may be the consequence of a cardiac arrest that followed bleeding into the belly cavity associated with perforation of the small bowel”.

However, Justice Crow said his interpretation of the doctor’s report was that Beau’s death was caused by “head injury associated with impact or shaking”, rather than bowel perforation.

Justice Crow said that doctor reported the exact cause of the bowel perforation was difficult to determine, but blunt force trauma to the abdomen was most likely.

The doctor also said the injury resembled those suffered by car crash victims by seatbelts, and said the bleeding on the brain and behind the eyes, as well as bruising on his head were “difficult to explain as a consequence of the small bowel perforation”.

“In my opinion, at the time of the autopsy, the cause of death was hypoxic brain injury,” the report read.

“While it is possible the brain injury may have been a consequence of a cardiac arrest that followed bleeding into the belly cavity associated with perforation of the small bowel.”

Ms Lawrence said Mr Bradshaw allegedly made admissions to family members at the Townsville Hospital regarding shaking the baby.

“There were conversations captured between himself and the deceased child’s mother on surveillance where he admitted to that … and then he otherwise admitted to her mother and (the grandmother’s partner) … after there’s been discussions with medical experts about the fact that it could have been occasioned by shaking a baby,” she said.

“He never told doctors or police.”

Ayden Bradshaw (second from right) is arrested in connection to the death of his son, six-month-old baby Beau Bradshaw. Photo: Tara Miko

Ms Lawrence said Mr Bradshaw had not mentioned Beau was crying before the ambulance was called, despite it being captured on a neighbour’s CCTV.

Ms Lawrence said Mr Bradshaw alleged he heard Beau cough during a sleep, so he went to check on him and found him unresponsive.

Justice Crow said it was alleged a paramedic who attended the East Mackay residence noted the child appeared “extremely unwell and lethargic” and “his Glasgow Coma score was three”.

The Glasgow Coma Scale is a clinical scale to determine consciousness levels after head injuries, with three being completely unresponsive, according to www.glasgowcomascale.org.

The court heard the defence team had applied for funding to get their own forensic pathologist expert for the trial and the Crown was awaiting further information from a medical expert.

Justice Crow granted Mr Bradshaw bail to a Rural View residence to live with a friend, after 869 days in custody.

The trial is expected to start in March 2023.

Bail conditions included no contact with Crown witnesses including Beau’s mother, who has relocated to Tasmania, and some of Mr Bradshaw’s family members.

The court heard the evidence collected to date consisted of 82 hours of audio and CCTV from surveillance of Mr Bradshaw’s house along with 2000 pages of “substantive material such as statements and transcripts, and a further 46,000 pages of material including photographs, exhibit logs and satellite reports”.