Rebecca Buchan
A north-east man has admitted assaulting a two-month old baby by squeezing it so hard the infant’s rib was broken.
First offender, Kristoffer Duguid, had been looking after the child for about five hours on January 23 last year while the baby’s mother was busy.
But when she returned to her child, Duguid told her the baby had been “restless” and said the child had been sick.
The woman, who cannot be named for legal reasons, then noticed the baby had marks on its face and legs and decided to call NHS 24.
Aberdeen Sheriff Court heard yesterday that staff at the helpline then informed the mother to check the child for further marks and she discovered “multiple unexplained bruises” all over the baby’s body.
Fiscal depute Anne MacDonald stated that the injuries the child sustained could “not have occurred by accident”.
And 31-year-old Duguid appeared in the dock and admitted carrying out he assault.
He admitted causing the baby “severe injury” by squeezing hold of it.
The court heard that the child was taken to hospital as a result of the marks where doctors became concerned about the pattern of bruises which were appearing all over the tiny child’s body.
Miss MacDonald said that, because the baby was so young, it would not have been able to injure itself as its mobility would have been minimal.
Doctors subsequently carried out a series of tests, including a CT scan and x-rays, but the child’s broken rib went undetected for days.
Miss Macdonald added that, as time went on, the extent of the bruising became more apparent with marks found all over the front and back of the child’s body.
She said: “These multiple unexplained bruises were of concern to the hospital as a two-month old child could not move about and cause these themselves.”
As a result of the injuries, the baby had to stay in hospital overnight.
No mitigation was given on behalf of Duguid, of 9 Oscar Place, Torry, and sentence was deferred on him for background reports to be carried out.
He will return to court next month.
