Vic: Alleged baby killer admitted shaking newborn, court told

AAP General News (Australia)
04-12-2007
Vic: Alleged baby killer admitted shaking newborn, court told

Eds: Attn to language in 8th para.



By Melissa Jenkins

MELBOURNE, April 12 AAP - A Melbourne father accused of killing his infant son had
shaken the newborn "a little harder than normal" a week before he died, a court was told
today.

Baby Izaiah Klamo was induced at 39 weeks at Werribee Mercy Hospital on June 29, 2005.

Twenty-eight-days later he was dead.

Today, Izaiah's father, Tomas (Tomas) Klamo, 23, of Melton, pleaded not guilty to manslaughter
in the Victorian Supreme Court.

Klamo told police he was watching television and Izaiah had been crying for about 10
minutes when he shook him up to three times, a week before his death.

"I can't remember exactly, but I remember it was in the lounge and I just shook him
a little harder than normal," Klamo said in a statement to police.

"Nothing too full on."

Prosecutor Ray Elston, SC, told the court that when police asked Klamo if he was irritated
with his son, he replied: "Just for a split second and then once I had done it I thought
'what the fuck did I do?'

"I thought he's too pure and I shouldn't have done it."

On July 27, 2005, Klamo's wife Shayla called triple-0, after Klamo came into the room
holding Izaiah, who was apparently choking, Mr Elston said.

Milk started running out of the infant's nose and Klamo began CPR.

The ambulance took Izaiah to a Sunshine hospital, where he died less than an hour later.

Pathologists found the cause of death was bleeding between the brain and the lining of the skull.

Izaiah's maternal grandmother, Michelle Sowter, agreed with defence barrister, Stratton
Langslow, that Klamo thought his baby boy was "the best thing that ever happened to him".

She said Klamo often bathed and fed his son.

"I actually bragged to the ladies at work how good (Klamo) was," Ms Sowter told the jury.

Maternal health nurse Linda Padayachee said she noticed a bruise on the baby's left
cheek and that he had lost 65 grams in a fortnight.

She said she was concerned the baby was on occasions waiting up to eight hours until
he was breast fed.

Mr Langslow told the jury the baby did not have injuries, such as broken bones, which
were consistent with "shaken baby syndrome".

He said there was controversy among doctors about whether it was possible to cause
bleeding to the brain by shaking a baby.

Mr Langslow said medical experts who give evidence may be able to explain whether other
factors contributed to Izaiah's death, such as his induced birth, ecoli in the pancreas
and blood and SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome).

He said grieving families often blame themselves for the unexplained death of a baby.

"It is common for family members to blame themselves in circumstances which they really
have no responsibility for the tragedy," Mr Langslow told the jury.

The trial before Justice David Harper continues tomorrow.

AAP mj/mh/it/mn

KEYWORD: KLAMO NIGHTLEAD (PIX AVAILABLE)

2007 AAP Information Services Pty Limited (AAP) or its Licensors.