Murder-accused dad adored his baby, partner says
BBCA woman whose partner is accused of murdering their three-month-old has told jurors the man "loved the bones" off their baby and would never have hurt him.
Prosecutors claim Bradley Thomas, 23, violently shook Emmerson Oak Thomas in October last year, causing a "catastrophic" brain injury from which the boy died three days later.
Thomas, a window cleaner from Redcar, denies murder and has told jurors Emmerson slipped from his lap while he was feeding him.
Thomas' partner of almost two years said she was awoken by Thomas "screaming" with "pure fear" and when she got to her son he was "completely limp".
Jurors were shown a video of the 21-year-old woman being interviewed by police at Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary, where Emmerson was taken for treatment.
She said the family went to bed as normal on the night of 4 October.
She was awoken at about 05:30 BST the following day by Thomas "screaming" for her from the living room downstairs, the court heard.
"I originally thought it was going to be something good," the woman said, for example Emmerson had "rolled over for the first time" and Thomas did not want her to miss it.
But then she heard "pure fear" in his voice, the court heard.
'Felt like eternity'
She ran down stairs and picked Emmerson up from the floor, the court heard.
Thomas told her Emmerson had been "really weird" and he sent her two videos of their son, one in which his "breathing was really funny" and another with his arms "flickering" involuntarily above his head, the court heard.
When she got to him, Emmerson was completely limp, his face felt cold, his lips were turning blue and his skin was "really paley white" and losing its complexion, the woman said.
She said Thomas began CPR but she took over, having completed first aid courses, and screamed at her partner to call 999, the court heard.
She said it "felt like an eternity" waiting for the paramedics to arrive and take over, with Thomas in "hysterics" on the phone to the call handler.
The woman said Thomas told her he had been feeding Emmerson from a bottle but the boy was "being dead grouchy" and not taking it, which was not unusual for his morning feed.
He told her he put Emmerson on the changing mat on the floor, the court heard.
Thomas previously told jurors he had fallen asleep with Emmerson on his knee and the baby must have slipped to the floor.
'Want the truth'
The woman said her partnership with Thomas was "amazing" and he had "finally shown" her what a relationship was supposed to be like.
He adored their son and "loved the bones" off him, the woman said, adding he was "scared" to rock him too much but she told him he could move him more.
Under questioning from Thomas' barrister Nicholas Lumley KC, she said he "never" mistreated their child and she remained in a relationship with him.
Prosecutor Toby Hedworth KC asked her if she could believe Thomas had "lost his temper and done something bad", to which she replied "no".
She said she understood the expert evidence which said a lot of force was needed to inflict Emmerson's injuries, but she would "never" think Thomas could act as prosecutors alleged.
"You don't want to think that?" Hedworth asked her.
"I want the truth," she replied, adding she was choosing what to believe based on her knowledge of the "lad" she had lived and had a son with.
The trial continues.
