Beau Bradshaw murder: New details in baby death case

New details have emerged in the case against a father accused of killing his six-month-old son as his lawyer argues to explore alternative causes for the baby’s injuries.

Prosecutors allege the injuries causing the death of a six-month-old Mackay baby occurred during a 21-minute window as new details are revealed in court.

Ayden Jedd Bradshaw is charged with murder and causing grievous bodily harm over his son’s death in June 2020 at East Mackay. He has not yet entered any formal pleas.

Baby Beau suffered traumatic brain and other internal injuries including a perforated bowel, which police allege occurred on June 2. He died on June 4 after he was flown to Townsville University Hospital.

A defence lawyer for Mr Bradshaw is pushing to cross examine five doctors – surgical, paediatric and pathology – and one nurse over possible alternative causes for Beau’s injuries.

Beau Bradshaw died in June 2020. His father has been charged with his murder.

But prosecutor Rob Beamish has contested the application in a directions hearing in Mackay Magistrates Court arguing there was “no aim” to the cross-examination.

Mr Beamish said the context of the application was “these issues will have a major bearing on whether it can be proven (Mr Bradshaw) had an opportunity when alone with the child to inflict injuries on him”.

The court heard the relevant time frame was a 21-minute window – CCTV footage shows Beau’s mother leaving the house at 1.37pm.

Mr Beamish said on her evidence Beau was “well and in the cot” when she left.

“On CCTV footage a baby can be heard crying at 1.47pm … 10 minutes later,” Mr Beamish said, adding witness statements said there were no other babies on the street at that time.

“The ambulance is called 11 minutes after that baby is heard to cry.”

Ayden Bradshaw, 25, was arrested and charged over his son’s death. Photo: Tara Miko

Solicitor Steven Hayles, of Macrossan and Amiet, wants to explore whether or not Beau’s brain injury could have resulted from a “fit”-like situation similar to one that was reported to United Medical Centre on March 30, 2020 when his “eyes rolled back in his head and his head began to shake for about 20 seconds”.

Mr Hayles said it had not been established if CPR Mr Bradshaw performed on his son could have caused the retinal haemorrhages.

Mr Hayles said he also wanted to explore if the doctors were aware of any links between persistent diarrhoea and bowel ischaemia and if the latter could cause bowel perforation.

He told the court the nurse “provided an opinion on the possible cause of the bowel perforation” that was unrelated to the police case against his client.

Baby Beau suffered multiple injuries including a traumatic brain injury and perforated bowel.

The court heard Mackay Base Hospital doctors performed a laparotomy on Beau on June 2 and observed the bowel injury.

Mr Hayles said he wanted to explore if the bowel injury could have occurred as early as June 1 in the afternoon – 12 to 24 hours before Beau had surgery, and if there was any significance to “the observation of (Beau) having a distended bowel several days before” on May 29.

“If it’s a possibility it’s the cause of the bowel perforation then it’s an important issue that needs to be established … it’s also relevant to the timing of the injury as well as the cause,” Mr Hayles said.

“Defence is also seeking to establish the significance of the observation of a distended bowel just before the ambulance was called (on) June 2.

“And how soon after blunt force trauma is inflicted could it be expected to result in a distended bowel.”

The court heard Mr Bradshaw had raised claims his son had a distended bowel just before paramedics were called. Acting Magistrate Athol Kennedy said the only person who saw the distended bowel before ambulance arrived was Mr Bradshaw.

Mr Hayles also wanted to ascertain how the paediatrician determined that the brain injuries and abdominal injuries happened at the same time.

Mackay man Ayden Bradshaw has been arrested over the death of his son Beau Bradshaw.

Mr Beamish told the court the doctors had already answered the questions Mr Hayles sought to explore and argued others were speculative and “not appropriate”.

The court heard one of the doctors had opined “considerable force would have to be applied to the abdomen to cause the perforation and subdural haematoma”.

“It would be submitted that it appears there’s no … aim to the cross-examination, it might be the hope of eliciting further information from these witnesses and asking these witnesses to interpret the evidence of other witnesses,” Mr Beamish said.

“I would submit that defence know the case against them and your honour would not order the cross-examination of those doctors.”

The court heard Mr Hayles had initially been seeking to cross examine 12 witnesses, which had been reduced to eight with two of those by prosecution consent.

Matters were adjourned to mid October.