Charlie Roberts: Man accused of murder claims toddler choked on biscuit before fatal head injury, court hears

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A man accused of murdering a toddler claimed the child choked on a biscuit before becoming “floppy”, a court has heard.

Paula Roberts, 41, left her son Charlie, aged one year and 10 months, in the sole care of her partner Christopher Stockton, 38, at her Darlington home while she went for an eye test, Teesside Crown Court heard.

Sleep-deprived after a night of playing Xbox and watching TV, Stockton called 999 shortly after 9am on January 12, 2024, saying the toddler had become “floppy” for no apparent reason.

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During the call, Stockton said he had patted the child’s back and inserted his fingers into the toddler’s throat to clear the airway. A recording of the call was played in court, with Stockton heard repeatedly saying, “Come on mate” and “wakey wakey” while attempting CPR. “I’ll pass out if I try to count the compressions,” Stockton told the call handler.

Despite his claims, prosecutors allege that Stockton inflicted a fatal head injury on Charlie by shaking or throwing him with “considerable force”.

“In a very short time, for that’s all it takes to lose one’s temper, he must have assaulted Charlie by shaking or throwing him with considerable force,” said prosecutor Nicholas Lumley KC.

Charlie Roberts as Christopher Stockton is charged with his murder and child neglect following his death in JanuaryCharlie Roberts as Christopher Stockton is charged with his murder and child neglect following his death in January
Charlie Roberts as Christopher Stockton is charged with his murder and child neglect following his death in January | Family handout/PA

Charlie was taken to the hospital but died the next day. Post-mortem tests revealed widespread bleeding in the brain and eyes, findings consistent with severe force rather than an accident.

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The court heard that Charlie had suffered numerous bruises and injuries in the months leading up to his death. In May 2023, he was taken to Darlington Memorial Hospital with facial bruising, which his mother attributed to falls. Social services held meetings out of concern for the toddler, but at the time, the injuries were not thought to have been deliberately caused.

In December 2023, Stockton took a photo of Charlie standing in the corner of a room decorated for Christmas as punishment for being “naughty.” The court was also told Charlie had sustained a painful injury to his private parts and bruised ears. Roberts told her brother the toddler had been sleepwalking and was found in a toy box. Prosecutors dismissed this explanation, noting that sleepwalking is rare in children of his age.

“The prosecution case is that there are too many incidents of bruising for it not to have been the result of neglect,” Lumley said.

Roberts had reportedly been concerned about Stockton’s behaviour toward Charlie months before the fatal incident. In August 2023, she purchased a spy camera and concealed it in a potted plant above the toddler’s cot. “She told her brother that she was concerned about Christopher Stockton and Charlie,” Lumley said.

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At the time, the couple’s relationship was reportedly strained, with Stockton experiencing personal issues, including problems at work and with his ex-wife.

Stockton, who is not Charlie’s biological father, denies charges of murder and child neglect. “His case will be that he simply did not cause Charlie’s death and he did not neglect him,” Lumley explained.

Roberts, who also faces a charge of child neglect, denies the accusations, claiming that Charlie’s injuries were the result of “everyday existence.”

The case was adjourned until Monday.

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