A court has been told how a man who killed a nine-month-old baby almost dodged police suspicion before he was finally caught.
Like many nine-month-old babies, Henry Vaughan was often unsettled and crying while teething.
The infant was in the care of Richard Albert James Newland – his mother’s partner – when his weeping became all too frustrating for the drug user to bear.
Newland, 32, struck the baby’s head either with an object or against one, causing a traumatic brain injury.
The young boy could not be saved and his family made the heartbreaking decision to turn off his life support.
What followed next, however, was equally shocking.
Newland went to great lengths to cover up his crime – he convinced the baby’s mother Rochelle Vaughan to lie, saying they had been home together at the time, and rearranged items in the home to fit his fake story that Henry had fallen out of his cot.
Remarkably, his lies were believed.
That is until the following year when the couple ended their relationship and she finally told police she had lied to them.
It sparked a thorough investigation that ultimately led to Newland pleading guilty to manslaughter.
He was sentenced in the West Australian Supreme Court this month to eight years in prison.
The court was told that Newland met the mother of two in South Hedland in the state’s northwest in May 2016 and they began a relationship.
A short time later, they moved in together, along with Newland’s nine-year-old nephew.
Justice Stephen Hall noted that Newland and Ms Vaughan were methylamphetamine users, while Newland also regularly consumed cannabis.
“Your moods would change erratically under the influence of drugs,” Justice Hall said.
“(It was) a chaotic household and (there was) a poor standard of care for the children.”
Less than one month before Henry died in 2016, his grandmother noticed bruising near his collarbone that appeared to cause him pain.
Subsequent examination indicated Henry had fractures to both collarbones that were consistent with an intentional injury, the court was told.
It was not alleged Newland inflicted that injury or any other injuries on the children.
“It does, however, indicate the circumstances that Henry was living in prior to his death,” Justice Hall said.
Newland did admit assaulting his partner in August 2016 that resulted in her mother taking the children for a couple of weeks.
On the night of August 31, the couple were coming down from methylamphetamine and argued, which resulted in an assault on Ms Vaughan, the court was told.
They both eventually went to sleep but were repeatedly disrupted by Henry, who slept in a cot in the same bedroom.
In the morning, Ms Vaughan left the home for a short time during which Newland became increasingly frustrated with Henry’s crying and committed his deadly attack, the court was told.
Realising what he had done, Newland removed Henry’s clothes then rinsed them and Henry with water.
“This was an attempt to cover up the fact that you had injured him,” Justice Hall said.
Newland then called triple-0 and requested an ambulance.
“You said that Henry had banged his head and was not breathing or responding,” Justice Hall said.
“You said that you thought he had fallen down. That was not, of course, true.”
While Newland was on the phone with the operator, Ms Vaughan returned home and saw him attempting to give the baby CPR.
He told Ms Vaughan that Henry had fallen and hit his head, the court was told.
They both took Henry to Hedland Health Campus and he was then flown to Princess Margaret Hospital.
Doctors found his brain swelling was too severe for neurosurgery and he was already brain dead, the court was told.
Life support was removed and Henry was declared dead on September 2.
Justice Hall said Henry should have had a long life ahead of him.
“You robbed him of that life and the joy that his family would have had in seeing him grow,” he said.
In her victim impact statement, Ms Vaughan, who is now Rochelle Papertalk, described Henry as the kindest, sweetest, most smiley little boy who melted hearts everywhere he went.
She said she found it difficult to put into words the pain she felt when she lost him and the pain she still felt.
“After five years of counselling, that pain is slowly becoming bearable,” Justice Hall noted.
“She says that the day she lost Henry was the hardest of her life, particularly having to make the heartbreaking decision to turn off the life support.
“She was made to feel that she was to blame for what happened and had her other child removed from her until she could prove that she could be a capable parent.”
Henry’s grandmother said it was her greatest joy to welcome Henry into the world but her heart was broken when he died.
“Saying goodbye was the hardest thing that she has ever been through,” Justice Hall noted.
“One of the most difficult things has been trying to explain to Henry’s now seven-year-old sister where her brother Henry is.”
Justice Hall said it was not a planned or premeditated attack.
“It was the product of your anger in the context of your recent drug use,” he said.
“You lost your temper and struck Henry for no reason other than he was restless or crying.
“You were in a position of trust and responsibility. You failed in both respects.
“There can hardly be a more vulnerable victim than a very young child … (he) was entirely at your mercy.”
Newland will be eligible for parole after serving six years behind bars.
Source: News AU