Grandad tells court he broke down in tears last time he saw ‘painfully thin’ baby ‘shaken to death by mum & stepdad’

A TODDLER allegedly murdered by his stepdad pursuing a "cruel" run of neglect had appeared "extremely hungry" and "painfully thin", his grandparents told a court.

Little Charlie Roberts was 22 months aged erstwhile helium died allegedly from a "catastrophic" caput wounded astatine his location successful Darlington, Co Durham, successful January this year.

Prosecutors assertion helium was thrown oregon shaken to decease with "devastating" unit by Christopher Stockton, his mother's caller boyfriend, and assaulted "so violently that his encephalon moved wrong the skull".

Stockton, 38, is accused of murdering the tot aft committing maltreatment implicit the people of 7 months.

Charlie's parent Paula Roberts, 41, is besides connected proceedings charged with kid neglect.

At Teesside Crown Court, Charlie's paternal grandad told however the youngster appeared bare connected play visits to their location with "pitifully thin" arms and legs.

Ken Greenwell told jurors: "There was nary musculus development. Not what you would adept to spot connected a kid that age.

"Where they basal connected the sofa and propulsion themselves up, helium struggled to bash that.

"When we archetypal started getting him, helium couldn't truly beryllium up properly. We would person to enactment cushions down him connected the couch.

"He wasn't a greedy child. He didn't unreserved his nutrient oregon gobble it down, but you couldn't capable him up."

Mr Greenwell broke down successful tears erstwhile helium recalled seeing Charlie for 1 of the last times past Christmas.

He added: "My reflection arsenic a grandparent is that his arms, his muscular development, was underdeveloped.

"His code was not wherever it should be, his walking was behind. Everything was behind.

"His arms and his legs were painfully thin, disproportionately."

Prosecutors assertion Stockton carried retired the fatal battle portion unsocial with Charlie, who allegedly suffered "cruel and uncaring" injuries successful the 7 months earlier his death.

Mr Greenwell recalled seeing a bruise the "size of a squash ball" erstwhile Charlie came to sojourn connected Boxing Day past year.

He said: "There was a large bruise connected his head. It wasn't a caller bruise due to the fact that it was yellowing."

Charlie's grandma, Carol Greenwell, told jurors successful a written statement: "Charlie seemed excessively bladed to maine and helium didn't look to beryllium putting connected weight.

"Charlie was ever highly bare erstwhile helium came to my house. I would not picture him arsenic greedy but helium was perfectly unfillable."

She added: "We began to announcement that Charlie would person bruises connected him.

"We would announcement bruises connected astir occasions. These tended to beryllium connected Charlie's face.

"Although Charlie did person bruises, I did not judge determination was thing untoward astir these bruises and I enactment it down to the information that Charlie was becoming mobile."

Paramedics were called to mum-of-five Roberts' location successful Darlington connected January 12 this twelvemonth aft Stockton made a 999 telephone claiming the toddler had choked connected a biscuit.

Medics looked into Charlie's rima utilizing a peculiar instrumentality to cheque his airways but recovered thing there, jurors were told.

Charlie died the pursuing time astatine Newcastle's Royal Victoria Infirmary from the "catastrophic effects of a caput injury" aft helium had been "shaken oregon thrown with specified violence", prosecutors claim.

Stockton denies execution and kid neglect, portion Roberts has pleaded not blameworthy to a complaint of neglect.

The proceedings continues.