17th March 2011: Harry Hogger
A FAMILY that suffered a double tragedy ‘will never know the truth’ behind the death of an eight-week old baby, a coroner has said.
Corbin Antony Goatley died in July last year while in the care of his father Antony Ivan Goatley.
Just over a month later Mr Goatley, 26, was found hanged at his Weymouth home.
He said shortly after midnight Mr Goatley went to feed Corbin and the baby began to choke and his body went limp.
Mr Goatley put Corbin on the bed and stroked his stomach and phoned the ambulance service, which advised him how to resuscitate the child.
Due to the nature of the baby’s death a thorough medical examination was carried out.
Professor Rupert Risdon, a consultant paediatric pathologist, said there was evidence of bruising to the left side of Corbin’s neck, to the back of his head and on his buttock.
The examination also showed damage to the child’s eyes and brain that suggested a non-accidental trauma.
Mr Johnston said: “Examination of his body showed that Corbin’s death had all the hallmarks of being from shaken baby syndrome.”
Detective Inspector Mark Samuel, who investigated the death, said Mr Goatley was arrested on July 9 and interviewed about his son’s death.
In interview he said after Corbin had gone limp and he had shaken him for approximately three seconds but could not say how hard, although he did not think it was very hard.
He said Corbin had choked and his body had gone limp before he had shaken him.
DI Samuel confirmed Mr Goatley had not been charged with any offence and he had not had the chance to respond to any of the detailed medical reports produced.
Mr Johnston recorded the cause of Corbin’s death as a head injury and said: “All the evidence points to the injury being caused by non-accidental trauma.”
He said there were ‘two or three possible verdicts’ open to him including unlawful killing or accidental death, however he said there was no evidence to support an accidental verdict and not enough to support a verdict of unlawful killing.
Mr Johnston said: “I am satisfied that we will never know the truth of what happened and because of that I’m going to record an open verdict.”
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8915794.Double_tragedy__Family_will__never_know_the_truth_/
A FAMILY that suffered a double tragedy ‘will never know the truth’ behind the death of an eight-week old baby, a coroner has said.
Corbin Antony Goatley died in July last year while in the care of his father Antony Ivan Goatley.
Just over a month later Mr Goatley, 26, was found hanged at his Weymouth home.
At inquests into the death of the baby and his father at County Hall in Dorchester West Dorset Coroner Michael Johnston recorded a verdict that Mr Goatley had taken his own life, while he recorded an open verdict on the death of Corbin.
Mr Johnston said on the night of July 3 last year Mr Goatley’s wife Ashlea Reid had gone out with friends and left him in charge of their baby Corbin and his three-year-old sister at their home in Gallwey Road. He said shortly after midnight Mr Goatley went to feed Corbin and the baby began to choke and his body went limp.
Mr Goatley put Corbin on the bed and stroked his stomach and phoned the ambulance service, which advised him how to resuscitate the child.
He was still attempting to resuscitate the baby when an ambulance crew arrived and took Corbin to Dorset County Hospital.
At the hospital medical staff discovered Corbin had sustained a brain haemorrhage and, despite their best efforts, he later died. Due to the nature of the baby’s death a thorough medical examination was carried out.
Professor Rupert Risdon, a consultant paediatric pathologist, said there was evidence of bruising to the left side of Corbin’s neck, to the back of his head and on his buttock.
The examination also showed damage to the child’s eyes and brain that suggested a non-accidental trauma.
Mr Johnston said: “Examination of his body showed that Corbin’s death had all the hallmarks of being from shaken baby syndrome.”
Detective Inspector Mark Samuel, who investigated the death, said Mr Goatley was arrested on July 9 and interviewed about his son’s death.
In interview he said after Corbin had gone limp and he had shaken him for approximately three seconds but could not say how hard, although he did not think it was very hard.
He said Corbin had choked and his body had gone limp before he had shaken him.
DI Samuel confirmed Mr Goatley had not been charged with any offence and he had not had the chance to respond to any of the detailed medical reports produced.
Mr Johnston recorded the cause of Corbin’s death as a head injury and said: “All the evidence points to the injury being caused by non-accidental trauma.”
He said there were ‘two or three possible verdicts’ open to him including unlawful killing or accidental death, however he said there was no evidence to support an accidental verdict and not enough to support a verdict of unlawful killing.
Mr Johnston said: “I am satisfied that we will never know the truth of what happened and because of that I’m going to record an open verdict.”
http://www.dorsetecho.co.uk/news/8915794.Double_tragedy__Family_will__never_know_the_truth_/
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