A person who fatally dropped a six-month-old child on its head may have been an NRL star earlier than he began taking the drug ice, his stepfather has informed a NSW court docket.
"I believed he was going to be the following Greg Inglis," Cox informed Justice Helen Smith on Thursday throughout a sentence listening to for Smith within the Newcastle Supreme Court docket.
He was discovered not responsible by a jury of murdering the child however pleaded responsible to the lesser cost of manslaughter.
Cox stated Smith's love of soccer started to fall away after being given the drug ice by his aunt in Newcastle.
"He simply misplaced curiosity in his soccer and for many of his life that had been his life.
"I knew he smoked a little bit of weed (hashish) however did not know concerning the tougher stuff till afterward."
Police had claimed Smith, 31, had been alone with the child at New Lambton when the kid was critically injured, together with struggling a fractured cranium.
However Smith informed the jury throughout a two-week trial in July that the boy's mom had repeatedly punched and shaken the crying child about 2am on February 9, 2019, earlier than leaving him with Smith after she had been given her share of the drug ice he had purchased earlier.
Smith claimed he was holding the distressed boy when he doubtless suffered a seizure from the sooner assault and the boy slipped from his arms, inflicting him to hit his head on the bottom.
He pleaded responsible to manslaughter after accepting he ought to have sought medical assist for the kid earlier and this had been gross negligence on his half.
The mom denied assaulting her son and claimed he was unhurt when she left.
Smith informed the court docket on Thursday he was "embarrassed and ashamed".
"I want I may have performed extra to cease this from taking place," Smith stated.
"There's not a day goes by that I do not consider that little boy. I additionally do have nightmares. It is one thing that is going to stay with me for the remainder of my life."
The mom, who has 4 different kids, informed Justice Smith on Thursday she continued to battle with the lack of her child son.
"I really feel destroyed, shattered and heartbroken," she stated.
"I miss him greater than something.
"I do know I wasn't the perfect mum, however I do know I used to be a great mum. I might by no means harm my child or kids."
In the course of the trial, Smith informed the jury he initially lied to police about what occurred to guard the mom regardless of the actual fact they have been solely in an informal relationship primarily based on medication and intercourse.
He informed police he had by accident dropped the kid and didn't point out what the mom had performed till 4 months later.
Specialist forensic pathologist Johan Duflou, known as by the defence, stated it was "totally attainable" Smith's model of occasions fitted in with the critically injured kid's situation when taken to hospital.
Duflou stated an earlier shaking and punching incident may have led to a deterioration in mind functioning and to seizures which could possibly be a cause why the child fell out of Smith's arms.
Justice Smith, who will sentence Smith on December 7, stated there have been two conflicting variations of what had occurred and he or she may not be capable to make any findings as to how the kid's accidents have been inflicted.