A MUM is accused of leaving her own son, three, to die after her boyfriend beat him so badly his bowel was severed, a court has heard.
Riley Siswick was found dead two days after he was allegedly injured by Kyle Campbell, 26, at their Huddersfield home.
He’d been injured in his abdomen “either from a fist, or by jumping or stamping on him or by striking him with an object”, according to the prosecution.
Riley’s mum Kayleigh Siswick, 26, chose to protect Campbell rather than raise the alarm about the little boy’s condition, Leeds Crown Court heard.
The blow is said to have injured Riley so severely that his bowel was severed, spilling his stomach contents internally, which caused peritonitis – a life-threatening infection.
This would have caused severe pain which “would have been obvious to the person who caused the injury or any adult who saw him after the injury was sustained”, Robert Smith QC explained.
The boy would have deteriorated and developed septic shock after the attack in 2016.
Riley eventually died from the peritonitis and hypovolemic shock due to fluid loss.
Mr Smith said: “His situation was a medical emergency.
“His deteriorating condition would have been obvious to both defendants.
“Why, at any time from that Thursday onwards, neither of the defendants telephoned for medical help or took him to accident and emergency at the local hospital.”
Siswick failed to seek medical help for her son and “instead, she chose to protect Kyle Campbell”, he added.
Mr Smith said paramedics were eventually called to the house but Riley was already dead and had been for a number hour.
Siswick was out of the house when Campbell injured her son, the jury heard.
There was evidence that she knew Campbell had injured her son before and she would have been aware that he was capable of hurting him again, according to the prosecutor.
When paramedics arrived at the house after Campbell called for an ambulance, Siswick said “why didn’t I check on him” and “we just found him like this”, he said.
The defendant told the medics her son had been suffering from diarrhoea and vomiting.
Campbell denies murder and causing or allowing the death of a child. He also denies two counts of causing actual bodily harm.
Siswick denies causing or allowing the death of a child.
The case was adjourned until Thursday.
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