A TODDLER’S broken bones were discovered after he was taken to hospital with wounds to his face, a court heard.

The boy’s father, Dwayne Gordon, 34, denies allegations of wounding with intent, wounding, causing actual bodily harm and child neglect. The trial at Oxford Crown Court continues.

Opening the prosecution’s case to the jury, barrister Corinne Bramwell said the boy, then around 18 months old, was being looked after by his father in the mother’s Oxford home on January 19, 2019.

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The mum, who was out with her friend, received a message from shortly after 7pm saying the boy had tripped and ‘hit the door but no blood LOL’.

Two-and-a-half hours later, she sent another message asking after the tot, jurors heard. He replied that the boy was running with his bottle when he tripped. “His face is f***ed,” the dad said. Gordon suggested he must have had bottle in his mouth when he fell as he had a ‘ring around his mouth’.

The friends returned later that evening but it wasn’t until 10.45am the next morning that Gordon and his partner took the boy to hospital.

A doctor who checked the toddler over formed the view that marks on him were consistent with a slap. The hospital contacted the police.

Further investigations by the doctors found 10 separate injuries on the boy, the jury was told. “A significant number of those injuries were likely to have been non-accidental,” Ms Gordon said.

Experts also found evidence that two bones in his left forearm had been broken ‘at least two to three weeks earlier’. He had another broken bone in the right arm, the jury was told.

Both parents were arrested. Gordon denied causing any injuries and also told detectives that he had 'never hurt a hair on his head'. 

Police checked the couple’s phones and found WhatsApp messages between them about injuries suffered by the boy. In December 2018, when the tot’s arms were allegedly fractured, they discussed ‘injuries sustained by the boy whilst in Mr Gordon’s care’, Ms Bramwell said.

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The jury heard that a safeguarding log at the boy’s nursery recorded ‘at least nine unexplained injuries’ suffered by the youngster. They included grazes and bruising.

Ms Bramwell said: “It is the Crown’s case that on the evidence you will be shown it is apparent it’s clear that Mr Gordon is responsible for the injuries sustained both on January 19, 2019, which resulted in his hospital admission and the fracture to his arms in December 2018.”

Gordon, of Kingsland Gardens, Northampton, denies wounding with intent, grievous bodily harm, causing actual bodily harm and child neglect. The trial continues.

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This story was written by Tom Seaward. He joined the team in 2021 as Oxfordshire's court and crime reporter.  

To get in touch with him email: Tom.Seaward@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @t_seaward