A father pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 20-month-old son at the Central Criminal Court today.
The court heard Mr Yusif Ali Abdi, originally from Somalian but now with an address at The Elms, College Road, Clane, Co Kildare allegedly took his sleeping son Nathan Baraka Andrew Ali out of bed and into another room where the child was beaten to death on April 17th, 2001 at College Road, Clane.
Mr Michael Durack SC for prosecution said the State Pathologist Dr John Harbison would tell the court that the toddler died from a fractured skull and brain damage caused by multiple severe blows to the head.
The child's mother, Ms Amanda Bailey, said she and the baby were asleep in a bedroom in the first floor apartment when the attack happened.
She told the court that when he arrived in Ireland Mr Abdi was suffering from post traumatic stress. One month after Nathan's birth in August 1999, the accused was granted a "green card" subsequently, refugee status.
Cross-examined by defence counsel Mr Tom O'Connell SC, Ms Bailey said a charge for assaulting a garda had a traumatic effect on the accused.
On the night of the attack on her son Ms Bailey told the jury she woke up and climbed onto a chair and to look through a fanlight over the livingroom door, which was locked. She saw Nathan's arm.
When Mr Abdi unlocked the door she saw the baby lying on the couch. She lifted him and noticed the back of his head was "soft".
The baby was taken to Naas General Hospital and pronounced dead at around 5.30 a.m. the court heard. Mr Abdi was arrested at the hospital.