Mum accused of murder admits caning son 'because Bible allowed it', court hears

A mother accused of murdering her three-year-old son has admitted hitting him with a bamboo cane but says she was allowed to because the Bible told her she "should chastise her child", a court heard.

Christina Robinson denies murdering her son Dwelaniyah at their home in Ushaw Moor, in County Durham, in November 2022.

The 30-year-old is standing trial at Newcastle Crown Court, where she also denies a child cruelty offence.

Jurors were told Dwelaniyah died from a head injury after he was forcefully shaken while he was in the sole care of his mother.

Emergency services were called to their home just after 4pm on 5 November 2022 following a call from his mother.

She told police officers he had been eating a cheese bun when he had suddenly become limp and collapsed.

He was taken to hospital but died shortly after.

Following his death, medical experts said there were signs he had been the victim of a series of assaults and had sustained a number of non-accidental injuries.

There was also evidence Dwelaniyah had been beaten with a bamboo cane, the court heard.

Richard Wright KC, prosecuting, said: "The defendant admits that she hit him with a weapon but says that she was allowed to do so because the bible tells her that she should chastise her child."

At the time of his death, Dwelaniyah's legs were heavily bandaged due to burns, which the court heard had covered about 15-20% of his body.

Robinson said they had been caused when he was messing about in the shower a few weeks earlier.

Mr Wright said evidence suggests they had been caused by Dwelaniyah sitting in scalding hot water.

He told the court he had suffered a "major head injury" before his collapse, of the type that could have been caused by forceful shaking, likely striking his head off a surface or object.

His death was not caused by choking on a cheese bun, Mr Wright added.

He said: "The prosecution say the death of Dwelaniyah was not an accident but the end point in a series of violent and cruel acts perpetrated against him by his mother Christina Robinson.

"She injured him, she neglected to treat the injuries that she inflicted upon her and then she murdered him."

She denies murder and child cruelty.

The trial continues.

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