Sunshine Coast pair charged with grievous bodily harm, assault, torture of young child

A Sunshine Coast man who allegedly failed to get help for his ex’s child could go back to jail, as police hand over ‘7000’ pieces of evidence to the woman’s lawyers.

A Sunshine Coast man accused of harming and torturing a child who was allegedly in pain for months could have his bail revoked while his ex-partner remains in custody.

A 19-year-old man and a 22-year-old Sunshine Coast woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, are charged each with one count of grievous bodily harm, seven counts of assault occasioning bodily harm and one count of torture.

The Sunshine Coast Child Protection Unit charged the pair after their investigation into allegations the woman’s biological child had suffered several serious injuries from September, 2021 to January, 2022.

Police allege the man failed to seek medical help for the child’s injuries.

Court documents reveal the child was taken to the Sunshine Coast University Hospital by his mother on January 9, 2022, to treat his leg pain.

It is alleged the woman told hospital staff the boy had fallen on January 7, 2022, onto tiles in the bathroom but she didn’t have concerns he was injured.

Maroochydore Courthouse. Picture: Patrick Woods.

Further medical examination also revealed the most recent femur fracture to older fractures which had not healed properly throughout the child’s body and bruising to the child’s buttocks, genital area, ear, arm and neck.

The medical report provided some potential reasons for the injuries, ranging from blunt force trauma causing several bruises which had been sustained over a long period of time to falling or being struck by an object.

It is also alleged some of the child’s injuries predate the start of the man and woman’s romantic relationship.

The man fronted Maroochydore Magistrates Court on August 19, 2022, where he faced five fresh charges for breaching his bail conditions.

He had previously been granted bail in June, 2022 on the condition he report weekly to the police and makes no contact with witnesses.

The man told Magistrate Rod Madsen the reporting condition was “a bit hard to juggle through work”.

Sunshine Coast pair charged with grievous bodily harm, assault, torture of young child.

Police prosecutor Sergeant Jeanette Grigoris said she would be looking to revoke the man’s bail would be made after he had allegedly failed to report four times to police.

“If he’s not going to comply with those conditions and he keeps breaching those conditions that were granted to him by the court then bail should be revoked,” she said.

The court heard police needed to give two days notice if they intended to revoke bail.

The man’s matter was adjourned to August 26, 2022, for further mention.

Acting as agent for the woman’s legal team, solicitor Kylie Anderson told the court a “voluminous” brief of evidence had been collected from police.

She said there were about “7000 items, including many hours of recordings,” and the woman’s legal team required more time to go through the evidence.

The woman – who remains in custody – will have her matter next heard on October 7, 2022.

The pair are yet to enter any pleas.

Originally published as Sunshine Coast pair charged with grievous bodily harm, assault, torture of young child