Mother and partner ‘forgot’ about baby during three day drug binge, court told
A mother and her partner accused of murder over the death of a nine-month-old allegedly “forgot” about the baby during a three-day drug binge, a Brisbane court has heard.
Andrew Campbell appeared in court in connection with the death of a child at Riverview on June 21, 2019. (AAP Image/Supplied by Queensland Police)
The body of Dexter Wilton was found by paramedics inside a property at Raceview in Ipswich, on June 21, 2019.
His mother, Natalie Jade Whitehead, was charged about 18 months later with murder and interfering with a corpse over the baby’s death.
Her partner at the time Andrew William Campbell allegedly lived in the Ipswich house when the child died.
Campbell and Whitehead had been in a relationship for about six weeks at the time Dexter died, the Supreme Court was told on Wednesday.
They were no longer together when the two were arrested.
Prosecutors said during Campbell’s application for bail that the now 42-year-old is accused of neglecting the child.
The Crown will argue Campbell had a duty of care for the child, although Whitehead was the main carer.
From material submitted there was no allegation Campbell had been violent towards the child, the court was told.
Prosecutors will allege Campbell and Whitehead were on a three or four-day drug binge and “just forgot” about the baby causing his death.
The Crown also argued Campbell “deliberately avoided police for over two weeks” before his arrest in January last year.
The bail application has been adjourned until Wednesday afternoon.
