Jury returns verdict on man accused of child abuse

Jury reveals whether a man on trial for child neglect after a toddler suffered catastrophic brain injury will walk free or not.

The man being escorted to Tweed Heads Police Station

A man has been found guilty of child neglect following a four-week trial in Grafton District Court.

The jury found the man guilty of grievous bodily harm, and intentionally and without reasonable excuse, failed to provide the victim with the necessities of life, namely medical care and attention, and the result of that failure caused a danger of death to the victim.

The charges were a result of a Child Abuse and Sex Crimes Squad investigation, and police allege they were notified after a 23-month-old girl was presented to Maclean District Hospital with life-threatening injuries on March 12, 2019.

Doctors allegedly told police the girl had suffered a “catastrophic brain injury”, with the man accused of injuring the child at a holiday rental home northeast of Grafton. Police allege medical attention was only sought three days after the alleged injuries.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, will be sentenced at Parramatta District Court in August, 2021.