Mother Charged With Murder Of Six-Week Old ‘Christmas’ Baby For Excessive ‘Shaking’

A mother is under fire for the death of a six-week-old baby who died in February 2019. She was identified as Chelsea Cuthbertson, accused of the murder of a baby who was prematurely born on Christmas Day 2018.

The 28-year-old mother has denied killing Malakai Watts who was rushed to the hospital on Feb. 2, 2019, from their flat located at Hythe, Southampton, Hampshire. The infant was placed in a medically induced coma at a pediatric intensive care unit at the Southampton General Hospital. However, a decision to turn off life support was made and the baby died four days later – Feb. 6.

According to the post-mortem made on the baby, Malakai died from head injuries and rib fractures. One of the fractures was reportedly suffered before the other seven according to prosecutor Sally Howes QC.

"Extensive post-mortem investigation identified pathological findings consistent with traumatic head injury,” she told the Winchester Crown Court. "The likely mechanism of infliction is some form of shaking, possibly with some form of impact."

Malakai was born prematurely on Christmas Day 2018. He was originally expected to be born on Feb. 5, a day before he died.

The prosecutor added that the child had no medical conditions and that medical people who got to visit the infant did not see any concern. However, they claimed that there was a smell of cannabis at the flat. The mother denied smoking them.

It would, later on, be revealed that it was the Cuthbertson’s partner, Del Watts, who had smoked it together with cocaine and drank beer at the time before going to bed at around 4:00 a.m. The mother had some wine during that occasion.

At about 8:30 a.m., Watts arrived at his office and found out that Cuthbertson had called 999 after she reportedly found Malakai no longer breathing. Before that, the mother claims she went out to smoke a cigarette, something that took only five minutes.

A paramedic arrived at 9:45 a.m. and found Cuthbertson trying to give chest compressions. The paramedic took over from there. When colleagues arrived, they took Malakai to the hospital.

At the hospital, it was found that the child’s skull was not fully formed. It was tight and bulging which suggested increased pressure and bleeding around the brain.

A CT scan confirmed this and an examination of the eye found retinal hemorrhages in the right eye. A trial on the case is ongoing.