Kent mother on trial for murder of son accuses ex-partner of fatal attack while she was buying drugs
A mother accused of murdering her son has accused her former partner of the fatal attack claiming it took place while she was out in the middle of the night buying drugs, a court has heard.
Sian Hedges told her murder trial at Maidstone Crown Court 18-month old Alfie Phillips must have been killed by her ex-boyfriend and co-defendant Jack Benham in a caravan near Faversham in November 2020.
The little boy died with 70 visible injuries on him, including bruises on his body and marks such as fractures to his ribs, arms and leg, signs of smothering to his lips and mouth, and traces of cocaine in his body.
Hedges returned to the witness box to give evidence for a third day today where she was cross-examined by Benham’s defence counsel and the prosecution.
When she was asked by prosecutors if Benham killed her son during a 40-minute window while she was out of the caravan attempting to buy drugs, she welled up in the dock and replied: “Yes he must’ve done. Because I didn’t do it.”
At this time, her co-defendant and former partner was on the other side of the courtroom in the dock was seen shaking his head.
The court also heard challenges from both Benham’s lawyer and prosecutors about inconsistencies in Hedges’ evidence.
These related specifically to comments she had made to several people suggesting Alfie had appeared fine earlier on the morning of his death.
Benham’s lawyer asked Hedges if she had lied in her evidence to her benefit.
She replied: “No I haven’t. How would this benefit me?
"My son’s dead, the only thing that would benefit me is if my son was alive, but he’s not, he's dead.”
Benham’s counsel responded: “You’ve come to realise as evidence has unfolded - that answers in your interviews that you saw Alfie at 2am and 7am has come to cause you difficulty and you’ve done everything you can to distance yourself from that.”
To which Hedges repeated: “No I haven’t.”
Both Benham and Hedges deny murdering 18-month old Alfie Phillips and an alternative charge of causing or allowing the death of a child.
The trial continues.
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