A three-year-old allegedly killed by his own mother had suffered two brain injuries, including one in the final two days of his life, a court has heard.

Thirty-year-old mum Christina Robinson is on trial accused of murdering her toddler Dwelaniyah, 3, at their family home on Bracken Court in Ushaw Moor, County Durham on November 5, 2022, and a charge of child neglect.

A trial at Newcastle Crown Court heard on Tuesday (March 3) that Dwelaniyah had suffered two brain injuries before his death.

Paediatrician Dr Deborah Stalker, who produced an independent report looking at his injuries, told the court: "There have been two episodes of brain injury."

She told how another doctor had noted Dwelaniyah had suffered a subdural haemorrhage "around 24 hours and no certainly more than 48 hours" before his death.

The Northern Echo: Dwelaniyah Robinson.Dwelaniyah Robinson. (Image: PA)

There was also another previous injury to the brain, she told the court.

“There was previous damage to one part of the brain called the corpus callosum.”

The prosecution alleges Robinson inflicted a fatal head injury, but she claimed her son had choked on a cheese bun.

Dr Stalker also said Dwelaniyah would have been in “excruciating pain” due to his burns.

"His burns were very extensive,” she told the court.

"As the burns were inflicted would have been very painful, agonisingly painful, and would continue to be there after

"He would have been in excruciating pain. They were very nasty burns. He would have been distressed, clearly very vocal about it.

“He may have been whimpering or moaning, possibly screaming but he would be very clearly distressed.

"Any normally competent parent would recognise that.

"He had an awful lot of injuries.

"I think Dr Nair noted over 45 both healed and more fresh. More were seen at post mortem.”

Last week a neighbour told jurors they heard “whimpering” during the night in the two weeks before the toddler’s death.

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Robinson says her son was eating a cheese bun when before he went “weird”, suggesting he had choked.

Defence counsel Mr Jamie Hill KC told the court: "She reported to the health visitor that she was concerned he wasn't chewing his food properly. This is when he was two years old. She thought it was something to do perhaps with him being tongue-tied."

Dr Stalker referenced a later health visitor appointment on May 20, 2022, when his father "reported no concerns saying he was chewing well and his speech had improved".