"Not reasonable" to suggest baby's injuries happened before being left with childminder, consultant tells trial

At Dublin Circuit Criminal Court, a consultant paediatrician has testified that brain injuries sustained by a ten-month-old infant could not reasonably have been inflicted before the child was left with a childminder on 28 March 2012. Sandra Higgins, aged 34, of Cavan town, County Cavan, has pleaded not guilty to intentionally or recklessly causing serious harm to the child. Dr Alan Finan stated the infant presented with active seizures, brain injuries and fractured ribs when brought to hospital at approximately 5pm, having been normal that morning. He told the court it would be unreasonable to suggest such injuries occurred seven hours earlier. Under cross-examination, the consultant acknowledged changing the certainty of his conclusions between reports dated 4 April and 11 April, attributing this to further consideration rather than new evidence. The trial before Judge Patricia Ryan continues, with additional evidence heard from a consultant ophthalmologist regarding extensive retinal haemorrhaging observed in the infant.