Drama in court as mother of Kemarni Darby Watson led out of the dock wailing and screaming
The mother accused of murdering her three-year-old son Kemarni Darby Smith had to be escorted from the dock after sobbing and wailing uncontrollably.
The emotional outburst from Alicia Watson, aged 23, happened as histopathologist Professor David Mangham gave evidence to Birmingham Crown Court about the horrific injuries to the boy's rib cage.
Three-year-old Kemarni's rib cage had been sent to Manchester Royal Infirmary and Manchester University for examination by David Mangham.
He said: "Between three and eight days before his death there were 19 fractures to his ribs. These could not have happened by squeezing. This is not the sort of thing that would happen by playing rough. These high number of fractures can only happen with severe compression."
Professor Mangham's evidence was so in depth jurors were given booklets with diagrams outlining the numerous injuries to his ribcage. The professor also drew diagrams to show the probability of the injuries happening in various time frames.
As well as the 19 fractures to the boy's ribs which occurred between three and eight days prior death there were numerous fractures caused in the two weeks before paramedics found Kemarni's lifeless body in a flat in West Bromwich on June 5, 2018.
The prosecution is currently calling medical witnesses to prove the severe injuries Kemarni sustained before dying. The trauma he sustained is normally associated with falls from a great height or a road traffic accident. His abdomen was split, colon damaged, liver lacerated, lung bruised and mouth and nose badly injured.
Mother Alicia and her boyfriend Nathaniel Pope are accused of his murder and several counts of child cruelty. Jurors could clearly hear Watson wailing as she was led out the dock by security guards. Pope, wearing a Puma jumper, sat in silence looking straight ahead as she was taken to compose herself downstairs.
Previously Watson's lawyer described her as a "loving mother" who doted on her son whose only mistake was trusting Pope to look after her son alone.
Evidence was delayed again as the defendants arrived late to court due to traffic problems. Watson is believed to incarcerated at Staffordshire's Foston Hall Women's Prison. The judge has previously complained about the defendants lateness by keeping jurors waiting.
Watson, 30, of Raglan Road, Handsworth, and Pope, 31, of Evans Street, Wolverhampton, both deny murder.
The trial continues.
