Evidence points to caregiver murdering child, court told

Patricia Pickering denies killing Dylan Rimoni. Photo / Paul Estcourt

Powerful evidence suggested Patricia Pickering killed the three-year-old boy in her care, a High Court jury was told in Auckland today.

Crown prosecutor Phil Hamlin said Dylan Rimoni's injuries suggested they were inflicted by somebody else rather than accidental, and that there was evidence of Pickering angrily abusing him verbally.

Pickering is on trial in the High Court at Auckland for the murder of Dylan, who died in Auckland's Starship Hospital on April 18, 2008.

She also denies charges of causing grievous bodily harm to him and assaulting him.

The Crown said she died from brain damage caused by Pickering while she was caring for him.

Giving his closing address, Mr Hamlin said Dylan was given to Pickering because the child was in need of a mother and Pickering wanted a child.

Though it appeared a dream come true for both, Mr Hamlin said the reality was something quite different, whatever the good intentions might have been.

"This child was beaten for a long time. He was hit, cut and maltreated over the period he was in Ms Pickering's care. In the end he was dead, in her arms effectively," Mr Hamlin said.

"The Crown case is simple: the injuries he received were caused by Ms Pickering. The evidence overwhelmingly points to one person, the person who was responsible for this child."

Mr Hamlin said there was evidence from neighbours of a woman angrily yelling and growling at a child, which were clearly distinguishable from some other incidents which involved arguments between a woman and a man, and that the tone of voice in the growling incidents was getting worse.

There was also evidence of two incidents where neighbours saw Ms Pickering roughly handling a child just outside the house in March 2008, he said.

In addition, Mr Hamlin said, medical evidence suggested Dylan suffered a number of injuries not consistent with a child falling over.

"Toddlers do not run around and get significant brain injuries. Toddlers are made to fall, that's what they do. They do this all the time," Mr Hamlin said

"They don't run around and bump into windows and doors and come out with brain injuries."

The defence is set to make its final address tomorrow.

- NZPA