Monday, February 19, 2024 – A father in the UK has been found guilty of killing his six-month-old son who prosecutors said was 'shaken and battered' before he died.
David Hollick, 29, denied murder and an alternative charge
of manslaughter in connection with the death of his baby son Kairo Jax Hollick,
who died at Birmingham Children's Hospital on February 12, 2020, days
after suffering a non-survivable brain injury.
A jury of 10 women and two men took around 20 hours to find
Hollick, of Primley Avenue, Walsall, not guilty of murder but guilty of
manslaughter by a majority of 11 to one on Monday afternoon.
The trial heard that as well as the brain injury, Kairo had
suffered at least two skull fractures and a fracture to his right arm while he
was in the care of his father on February 9.
Prosecutor David Mason KC told the court Kairo 'had not only
been shaken violently, but his head had been bashed at least twice' with a hard
object by Hollick.
The trial had heard Hollick's ex-partner Adina Johnson had
dropped their son off at his home as usual on February 7 for the weekend and
while Kairo had a cold at the time, she had no other concerns about his health.
Hollick was staying in the conservatory at his parents' home
due to a lack of bedroom space after moving back in with them when his
relationship with Ms Johnson ended.
The court heard Hollick phoned Ms Johnson at 4.30am on
February 9, but she did not answer because of the time, instead messaging him
to say she would call him back later on.
Hollick immediately sent her a message telling her to 'ring
him back, it's about Kai'.
The last person to see Kairo alive and well was Hollick's
brother James, who went into the conservatory at around midnight and saw them
sleeping.
At around 4.30am, Hollick went into his father's bedroom in
what prosecutors said was a 'panicked state', saying that Kairo was not
breathing and that he 'didn't want to lose him'.
Kairo was driven to Walsall Manor Hospital, where Hollick
told medical staff he had heard his baby son crying before he stopped breathing
and claimed he only shook him to 'wake him up'.
During the trial, Hollick told the court he had tripped and
fallen while carrying Kairo, which may have caused his injuries.
Scans showed Kairo was suffering from a bleed on the brain
and a decision was made to transport him to Birmingham Children's Hospital, but
despite their specialist facilities, nothing could be done to save him.
Kairo was christened before his life support was switched
off and he died in his mother's arms.
Hollick will be sentenced at the same court on March 4.
In a tribute released through West Midlands Police after
Hollick's conviction, Ms Johnson said: 'It has been four years since we lost
Kairo and our hearts are still as broken as the day he was so cruelly taken
from us.
'He deserved to be safe in the care of his father and he
deserved to still be here today. We are devastated to learn of the sheer
brutality inflicted on Kairo and it will haunt our family for the rest of our
days.
'Kai was the light of our lives and the embodiment of
innocence and without him we are broken.
'We hope now after all of this time that he can finally
rest. We will grieve him forever.
'We would like to send thanks to medical staff at both
Walsall Manor Hospital and Birmingham Children's ICU for caring for Kairo with
such dignity and respect in his final days.
'My family and I would also like to thank DC Donna Kenny,
our family liaison officer and the entire investigation team for the hard work,
constant support and guidance over the past four years. We would also like to
thank both prosecuting barristers.
'They have all helped us find some closure in what has been
the most tragic of circumstances that any family could imagine.'
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