A Gloucester mother shook her baby son so violently he died, a court heard.

Anne Marie Rooney, who is charged with murder, then handed the "devastatingly injured" child to a friend and said: "Fix him", a jury was told.

The 27-year-old, of Bristol Road, Quedgeley, pleaded not guilty to murdering Joseph Rooney and not guilty to his manslaughter.

The alleged murder took place on July 1, 2007 at Trevisker caravan site at St Merryn near picturesque Padstow in north Cornwall.

Opening the trial at Truro Crown Court yesterday the prosecution barrister Martin Meeke QC said: "The defendant, her husband Felix and friends are all members of the travelling community and came to Cornwall to seek paving work.

"She told police after baby Joe's death that her son had banged his head against the dashboard in the car on their way down – the seatbelt wasn't secure – and the following day she said he was sitting in the car seat on the floor of their caravan when he rocked forwards and bumped his head again.

"She said on the morning of July 1 her husband went to the wash block and she plumped up the quilt and sat Joe – who could neither walk nor crawl – in the middle of the bed.

"She went outside the caravan, the wind blew the door shut and she heard a bang.

"She says that her baby had rolled off the bed and fallen onto the linoleum floor.

"The defendant burst into her friend's trailer, handed over baby Joe and told her to 'fix him'. "She then returned to her own trailer.

"We have no evidence of what happened but we do have overwhelming medical evidence to establish that the devastating injuries baby Joe suffered could not be explained by his mum's version of events."

The barrister went on to say the defendant admitted to police she had shaken the baby "gently" after his fall, but he added : "This was far in excess of a gentle shake to wake or calm a child and the massive neck and head injuries were 'classic' results of 'shaken baby syndrome'.

Mr Meeke, said: "It should be obvious to any parent that such violent shaking would cause injuries and do a child really serious harm.

"The defendant told police that she's picked up baby Joe by the back of his babygrow, held him by the waist and shook him."

Giving evidence, Kathleen Connors, who was staying in the neighbouring trailer, said: "She burst in holding her baby -– she was hysterical and roaring and screaming and Joe lay in her arms motionless.

"She passed him to me because she wanted me to help. My husband and I drove to Padstow – I was still in my nightie – and during the journey Joe did not move or make any noise."

In answer to cross examination from defence barrister Maura McGowan, Mrs Connors said: "In all the time I've known Anne-Marie, I've never seen her lose her temper with baby Joe. I never saw her snap."

The trial continues

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