A Rainham woman shook a three month-old boy so hard he suffered brain damage and then waited 12 hours before calling an ambulance, a court heard.

The 26-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, carried out internet searches for “baby in coma” and “baby having difficulty breathing” after attacking the child, Snaresbrook Crown Court heard yesterday.

She denies four charges relating to the alleged assault of the boy and one related to the assault of a second child.

At 10am on September 17, 2012 - twelve hours after the alleged attack - the three-month-old, who also can’t be identified, was taken to hospital where tests revealed he had very little brain activity and was likely to have suffered brain damage.

Sally Howes QC, prosecuting, said: “What caused [the baby] to become so very unwell? The Crown say that the subdural bleeding was the result of traumatic injury caused by being shaken or a mechanism involving some kind of shaking.

“The prosecution say it was deliberate injury caused by shaking. The defence say some other medical condition can’t be ruled out.”

The woman told doctors she hadn’t called an ambulance sooner because his condition had seemed to be improving, the court heard.

She said she and a Rainham man, 31, also accused of failing to provide medical assistance, had given mouth to mouth to the baby when it stopped breathing a few hours before the emergency call.

The woman denies one count of cruelty to a person under 16, one count of GBH, two counts of assault occasioning ABH and one count of causing or allowing a child to suffer physical harm.

The man denies one count of cruelty to a person under 16 and one of causing or allowing a child to suffer physical harm.

The trial continues.

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