Woman said she was 'very naughty' after son injured, court told

Photo / Janna Dixon

A woman on trial for assaulting her son told her husband she had been "naughty, very naughty" after the child was admitted to hospital with life threatening head injuries, a court has heard.

Haini Mikaio was called home from work on June 30, 2008 by his wife, Itupa Julie Mikaio, 40, who said their son Benjamin was sick. Mr Mikaio went to Starship Hospital where Benjamin was seriously injured and attached to a ventilator.

Itupa Mikaio has gone on trial today at the High Court at Auckland, accused of causing grievous bodily harm to Benjamin with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and for failing to provide him with the necessities of life.

She is defending those charges but admitted to one charge of injuring with intent to injure, which related to an incident three days before Benjamin was hospitalised where she hit him with her shoe.

The Crown alleges Itupa Mikaio beat Benjamin about the head, and dropped his head on the floor, because he wet his bed. His injuries were so severe he was unconscious and his teeth and hands were clenched shut.

Mr Mikaio said his wife was crying and upset when he asked her what happened to their son. "She said she had given him a smack but she didn't know how he got the head injuries."

"She said she was naughty, very naughty."

He told the High Court at Auckland today his wife admitted hitting Benjamin with her shoe because he had been "naughty and jumping up and down".

He also had scribbled on the wall.

At a family meeting at Starship Hospital he asked her directly how Benjamin's head injuries occurred and her response was that she didn't know.

Prosecutor Deborah Marshall said the assault happened because Mikaio was angry about the bed-wetting. She said the injuries were not caused by a minor accident but by considerable force.