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The father of a baby left blind and brain damaged after an alleged assault has denied he or the baby's mother hurt the boy, saying his "mother-in-law" may be responsible for the injuries.
Andrew Wepiha, 24, has been charged with intending to cause grievous bodily harm to his then 3-month-old son, Ethan Tiaiti, in April 2006.
A jury in the Auckland High Court yesterday was shown a video statement in which Wepiha was questioned by police a week after his son was admitted to hospital. He was arrested hours later.
The court heard that statements by Wepiha on the video contradicted other statements about where he was at the time police alleged his son was hurt .
Defence lawyers for Wepiha also revealed the baby's mother Ruth Tiaiti, 22, of Otara was also charged that day in connection with injuring their son, but those charges were later dropped.
In the video statement Wepiha repeatedly denied he had hurt his son and said he wished he knew how his son had received his injuries, speculating his "mother-in-law" - his partner's mother Ngamata Tiaiti - may have been responsible.
As Counties-Manukau Detective Colin Higson read out a list of Ethan's injuries Wepiha became increasingly upset and said he just wanted to know what had happened to his son. "I can't believe he had these injuries and we didn't know about it."
Up until April 1, when Crown prosecutors alleged the latest and most damaging injuries occurred, Ethan had been a "happy baby" who "smiles all the time" and "likes his music".
When he and his partner first noticed a bruise on Ethan's forehead - the size of a 10c or 20c piece - a plunket nurse told them it was "not a bruise, just a mark", Wepiha said.
He said the Plunket nurse "wasn't concerned at all" but he and Miss Tiaiti were because "something might have hurt baby".
On the day of the alleged incident Wepiha told Mr Higson he was outside the house with Miss Tiaiti and her 11-year old sister, trying to settle the baby who was in his pram.
"That afternoon baby was all good and fine and laughing with us. I was told to push him around the [outside of the] house - then that's when he cried."
Wepiha said he was only out of the sight of Miss Tiaiti and her sister for a matter of seconds at the back of their house when the child "started bawling" as he tried to shield the boy from the sun.
When asked about the cry, Wepiha said "It was not like he was crying, it was like he was screaming" as if he was "trying to get a breath".
Wepiha said he was scared and Miss Tiaiti's mother then came out of the house.
They unbuckled the baby and when he did not settle they took him to the doctor.
Despite the constant screaming the doctor prescribed Pamol and said the baby might have a fever, Wepiha said.
Over the weekend Wepiha said his son kept crying every 10 minutes and would not settle. "He wasn't playful any more, wasn't laughing, wasn't co-operating".
After a third visit to the doctor, Ethan was admitted to hospital.
Mr Higson said Wepiha, Miss Tiaiti and Mrs Tiaiti were the child's main caregivers but "what I can't understand is how in your family, how this child could have received so serious injuries and for you not to be aware of them".
"I can't think of what happened and all that ... just shocked," Wepiha replied.
Wepiha said he had not been able to sleep for days since his son had been admitted to hospital, it was "unbelievable".
"Have you done this to Ethan?"
"I have never touched my son."
"Has anyone else done this?"
"No, not in front of my face."
When asked who else could have caused the injuries Wepiha said Mrs Tiaiti might have been responsible.
Miss Tiaiti had told him in the past week she thought her mother might have "shaken the baby a bit", he said.
In a written statement read earlier to the court Wepiha had told police he was inside the house for a "really short time" when he "heard the baby screaming" . Wepiha also originally said the incident had happened on a Friday, not a Saturday as later stated.
Wepiha had also told police Miss Tiaiti's mother had just left for work but when the baby started crying Miss Tiaiti ran down the road to get her - he later said Mrs Tiaiti was in the house.
Earlier yesterday Mrs Tiaiti told how she was one of the main caregivers of her grandson and how she had become increasingly worried when he became sick on April 1.
When asked if she had hurt her grandson, Mrs Tiaiti said: "No, I love my grandson."
The trial continues.
- NZPA
