Man admits killing baby left unattended while mum took drugs

A man has pleaded guilty to killing a baby and harming another after neglecting their basic needs for at least a day.

Andrew William Campbell, 45, was on Monday due to face the start of a seven-day trial in Queensland Supreme Court.

Eight-month-old Dexter Wilton died after he was left unattended for 21 hours in an Ipswich unit.Credit: Internet

He instead pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of eight-month-old Dexter Wilton before fleeing media waiting outside court before sentencing.

Dexter’s mother, Natalie Jade Whitehead, 38, pleaded guilty in October to manslaughter, neglect and failing to provide necessities of life over the baby boy’s death.

A judge heard Whitehead had left the boy unattended with another baby, who cannot be named for legal reasons, at a unit in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, for at least 21 hours while she took drugs.

“The hours preceding death would have been extremely distressing both physically and emotionally,” crown Prosecutor Matt Le Grand told Justice Catherine Muir at the time.

Andrew William Campbell allegedly lived in the residence where the baby died.Credit: Queensland Police Service

Paramedics found Dexter’s body in a property at Raceview in Ipswich on June 21, 2019.

Campbell allegedly lived in the house when the child died.

When asked in court on Monday for his plea over the manslaughter of Dexter, Campbell said: “Guilty, your honour.”

Campbell also pleaded guilty to a negligent act causing harm and failing to provide the necessities to another baby on an unknown date between June 16 and 22, 2019.

Le Grand told Justice Glenn Martin that Campbell’s one count of interfering with a corpse would be subject to “nolle prosequi”, meaning the prosecution would not continue with the charge.

Defence barrister Damian Walsh told Martin he did not wish to proceed to sentencing on Monday.

“I’ll be getting some psychological material placed before the court,” Walsh said.

He sought for Campbell’s bail to continue and Le Grand did not oppose the application.

Martin ordered for the matter to face a review of the psychological evidence on March 26 and continued his bail.

Whitehead in October was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, but will be eligible for parole in June due to her three years and nine months already spent in custody.

AAP