Clashes in court over where blame lies in cruelty case against baby girl

Prosecution says evidence points to the accused father, but defence claims there was a hole in the middle of the prosecution in the shape of the baby’s absent mother

The prosecution says there is only one explanation for what happened to the baby, a point that is disputed by the defence. File picture

The prosecution claimed on Thursday that the circumstantial evidence in the case of cruelty to a six-month-old girl in Cork pointed inescapably to the infant’s 31-year-old father but the defence said there was a hole in the middle of the prosecution in the shape of the baby’s absent mother.

Prosecution senior counsel Jane Hyland said there was only one explanation for what happened to the baby and this was that she was shaken by her father, the accused before the court.