The wife of a man accused of murdering 20-month-old baby Nathan Ali considered committing him to a mental hospital in the months before the death, a jury has heard.
Dr John Harbison, the State pathologist, told the trial yesterday that the infant died from gross brain damage and severe fractures of the skull due to multiple, severe impacts of the head with a hard surface, possibly a kitchen wall.
In the Central Criminal Court trial, Mr Yusif Ali Abdi (30), who is a refugee from Somalia, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of the murder of his son, Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali, on April 17th, 2001 in an apartment at The Elms, College Road, Clane, Co Kildare.
The accused told Det Sgt P.J. Rowan he was cradling the child as he was locking a door when Nathan fell from his arms on to a carpeted floor. He said the child fell to the floor a second time when he brought him into the kitchen.
In a later interview with gardaí, he was asked, "You said earlier he might have fallen: is that correct?". He replied, "No - I can't remember." Dr Harbison said the two falls claimed could not explain the injuries he found. Asked whether the first fall could account for the injuries, he said, "They were too severe for that."
Asked about the second fall, he said there was extensive injury to both sides of the head, also affecting the skull further down. "I think even from that height those injuries were too severe to be explained by that", he told Mr Michael Durack SC, prosecuting. His evidence was not contested by the defence.
He also pointed out that despite the "profound fracturing" of the skull there was no evidence of external penetration and no blood. He said that the "complete absence of bruising of the brain" should offer some consolation to relatives, "because the child died very rapidly - otherwise there would have been time for bruising to develop".
His wife, Ms Amanda Bailey, of Dundrum, Dublin, has already told the trial she believed her husband was "sick" at the time of the baby's death. Yesterday, a statement of a friend of hers, Ms Niamh Connor, was read to the jury. Ms Connor said that Ms Bailey had discussed with her having Mr Abdi committed to a mental hospital. Ms Connor said she thought that was too extreme.
Her statement said that she agreed to go with Ms Bailey and Mr Abdi to the home of a Muslim friend of Mr Abdi, who had married an Irish woman and was living in Castleknock.
At first, the friend and his wife thought that it was religious and cultural differences that were causing the difficulties between Ms Bailey and Mr Abdi, Ms Connor said.
But after talking, the male friend then said to Mr Abdi that he believed he was sick and in need of medical attention. He recommended a Muslim psychiatrist for Mr Abdi to see, the statement said.
Ms Bailey's mother, Ms Kay Bailey, told the trial that her impression of Mr Abdi was that he was "a very quietly spoken and gentle person" who was very good with her grandson and "a very proud father".
The case continues next week.