Yahoo News Three-year-old boy ‘punched to death by mum’s boyfriend while she was out of the house’
A man hit his girlfriend’s three-year-old child so hard that he died from internal injuries 36 hours later, a court has heard.
Kyle Campbell, 26, is accused of striking Riley Siswick in the abdomen while his partner Kayleigh Siswick, also 26, was out of the house on February 4, 2016.
Campbell and Siswick are both accused of failing to get help for Riley or take him to hospital until after the little boy was dead.
Leeds Crown Court heard the couple dialled 999 at 9.18am on February 6 and Campbell told the operator: "We think he's dead".
Campbell is accused of murder and causing or allowing the death of a child, while Siswick is charged with causing or allowing the death of a child.
Both pleaded not guilty to the charges at a previous hearing.
Prosecutor Robert Smith QC said Riley died from peritonitis, an infection in his stomach, and hypovolemic shock, a significant loss of blood, as a result of the beating he endured.
He added the alleged assault involved a strike to the abdomen, which could have been done with a weapon or by Campbell using the force of his body, on the afternoon of February 4.
Siswick noticed there was a problem with Riley immediately on her return to the family home in Huddersfield, West Yorks., after collecting another of her children from school, Mr Smith said.
She failed to seek medical help in a bid to "protect" her partner Campbell, the court heard.
Mr Smith said: "He (Riley) had been severely ill since the afternoon of February 4.
"His condition gradually deteriorated. He was put to bed on the night of February 5... at that time his condition must have been desperate.
"It would have been obvious to any responsible parent that he was very seriously ill and needed urgent medical treatment.
"Neither of the defendants took any steps to obtain medical help during this period.
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"Riley would have been in considerable pain and discomfort before his death."
In the days and hours before his eventual death Riley's condition would have resulted in him being visibly unwell, according to Mr Smith, with pale skin and rigid abdomen.
He added that both defendants lied to police by telling them they had each checked on Riley a number of times the night before he died and reported he was fine.
Campbell also faces two charges of assault occasioning actual bodily harm which relate to another child.
The trial, which is expected to last between six and eight weeks, continues.
