A court has been told injuries suffered by a 12-week-old girl had all the hallmarks of shaken baby syndrome after her father was alleged to have killed her.
Baby Alanah Rowe died from a brain injury from lack of oxygen – along with brain and retinal bleeding after being rushed to hospital from her Bendigo home.
She also had a ‘torn or shorn’ bridging vein in her brain, but had no external injuries, broken bones, grasp marks or bruises.
Victoria Police allege that her father, Bendigo man Joby Rowe, 26, had shaken his daughter.
Joby Anthony Rowe, 26, faced court on charges of murdering his three-month-old baby Alanah (pictured)
Crown prosecutor Ben Ihle told the Victorian Supreme Court these findings were a ‘clinical smoking gun’ that shaking did indeed occur.
However barrister James FitzGerald argued that Rowe was a ‘good father’.
‘He did not shake, he did not drop Alanah. He did not do anything to cause her medical condition,’ Mr FitzGerald told the court.
‘He disputes absolutely he shook Alanah.’
Mr Ihle said medical experts concluded the baby died from “inflicted head trauma”.
He said those injuries were ‘strong indicators of mechanical head trauma, rapid acceleration and deceleration’.
‘It’s evidence of Alanah being shaken, and being shaken vigorously,’ he said.
Rowe was charged with murdering his three-month-old baby who allegedly died after ‘coughing hard as he fed her a bottle’.
Alanah Rowe was airlifted to hospital after she started choking and gasping for air at her home in Heathcote, two hours north of Melbourne, but she died the following day.
Alanah was airlifted to hospital after she started choking and gasping for air at her home in Heathcote, two hours north of Melbourne, but she died the following day
Rowe, made an appearance by video-link at Bendigo Magistrates Court in September of 2015, one month after baby Alanah’s death.
He did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
Alannah, who was born premature, was rushed to Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition on August 29 after a triple-0 call.
Her mother, Stephanie Knibbs, ‘desperately’ tried to clear Alanah’s airways after hearing a ‘commotion’, according to reports.
But paramedics were alerted when the baby’s parents noticed blood coming from her mouth and nose, according to The Age.
It was reported at the time that Rowe had told friends Alannah started coughing ‘hard’ as he fed her a bottle just after she had woken, according to news.com.au.
Rowe, made an appearance by video-link at Bendigo Magistrates Court (pictured) in September of 2015, one month after baby Alanah’s death
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