Santina Cawley

Two year old Santina Cawley, found critically injured in an apartment in Cork in 2019, died of “forcefully inflicted injuries” having sustained a traumatic ...

Dr Bolster said that that there was no evidence of any underlying illness in the child. Santina had tiny pin point haemorrhages on the right side of her back. Bruising of up one to one centimetre deep was recorded under Santina’s scalp. Once the head injury was inflicted she (Santina) would have been in a deep coma. She noted that Santina had a healed fracture to her left femur. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster detailed the 53 injuries the child sustained prior to her death.

A TODDLER found naked and critically injured on a duvet in a Cork flat with 53 different injuries died from blunt force trauma.

"I don't know – honest to God, I don't know how to harm a child. Jesus Christ like – I am going to be sick." It is not that I won't (remember) – I can't. I really don't know." I have no recollection – I would not hurt her." "I wasn't taunting the child… "Oh God, I really don't know. "I would never, ever harm no baby. I have never hurt a child in my life. Extensive damage was done and the brain was swollen. "Oh Jesus Christ – it is making out like I did it. Santina was found lying naked on a dirty blanket with critical injuries at 26 Elderwood Park off the Boreenamanna Road in Cork city at 5am on July 5, 2019. "In my view these were not accidental.

Karen Harrington is on trial at a Central Criminal Court sitting in the city charged with the murder of Santina Cawley.

Dr Bolster said that that there was no evidence of any underlying illness in the child. Dr Bolster also examined the scene where Santina was found injured. Dr Bolster noted signs of medical intervention on the body as desperate efforts were made at Cork University Hospital to save the child. Once the head injury was inflicted she [Santina] would have been in a deep coma. Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster detailed the 53 injuries the child sustained prior to her death. Karen Harrington of Lakelands Crescent in Mahon, Cork is on trial at a Central Criminal Court sitting in the city charged with the murder of Santina Cawley at 26 Elderwood Park in Boreenmanna Road on July 5th, 2019.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margot Bolster told the trial of Karen Harrington (38) at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork that Santina Cawley died as ...

The case continues. Dr Bolster re-iterated that she was absolutely certain that the injuries were not accidental due both to their multiplicity and the fact that they were all over Santina’s body, and she said she was satisfied that they were forcefully inflicted rather than caused by any accidental fall. “These are not accidental but are forcefully inflicted injuries,” said Dr Bolster after cataloguing a long list of injuries sustained by Santina including complex fractures to her skull with displacement of bone, two fractured ribs and fractures to her right arm and end of her left thigh.

Assistant State Pathologist Dr Margaret Bolster told the Central Criminal Court of a large fracture and numerous wounds to the two-year-old's skull.

“Obviously the head has been struck and this will result in movement in the brain and spinal cord. She was white. She was lifeless. Extensive damage was done and the brain was swollen. There was also bleeding into and around the spinal cord. This was a severe and traumatic brain injury.

A murder trial jury has been shown a video-recording of a Garda interview with the woman accused of murdering two-year-old Santina Cawley.

"Oh Jesus - I didn't hurt (the) child. "I don't know - honest to God I don't know how to harm a child. "I don't know - I have no memory of it at all, at all, at all. It is not that I won't (remember) - I can't. I really don't know." Jesus Christ like - I am going to be sick. I have no recollection - I would not hurt her." "I would not hurt a child, like. "It all says to me that I went mad. I had no reason to taunt a child,” she said. "Oh God, I really don't know. "I would never, ever harm no baby. "Oh Jesus Christ - it is making out like I did it.

Brendan Grehan defence senior counsel said, “She does not have a history of violence.”

The detective said, “In here I cannot lie to you. “Santina Cawley was murdered – murdered at 26 Elderwood Park – your address. She outlined she did not remember.

In an interview with gardaí, Karen Harrington repeatedly denied murdering Santina Cawley.

And she denies that she recalled the injuries Santina suffered.” Inspector Callaghan said: “Some further information came to light (in the fifth interview) that was not given in the previous four… Detective Garda Noonan had said: “Santina Cawley was murdered – murdered at 26 Elderwood Park – your address. Mr Grehan said: “It seems to be the case that Karen Harrington – despite the strategies – her position did not change.

Det Garda Noonan put it to Ms Harrington that witnesses Dylan Olney, Martin McSweeney, Philip Slyne and Brian Luttrell all heard a woman roaring and shouting ...

Gardaí also showed Ms Harrington an earring found on the floor which matched an earring found in one of Santina’s ear lobes. “I see Santina’s hair, the same colour hair on the sofa in my living room – it looks like the colour of her hair, auburn,“ said Ms Harrington, before the two gardaí showed her a photo of a blanket with blood stains found on the floor in her living room. But she insisted that she fell asleep on the couch after putting Santina on the duvet in the floor and watching her fall asleep and she had no recollection of what happened after that, and she denied taunting Santina or hurting her or murdering her.

The trial at the Central Criminal Court sitting in Cork was shown footage where Karen Harrington conceded that all of the evidence was pointing at her being ...

She is a person who doesn’t have a history of violence on the garda record.” She said that all of the evidence “was coming towards me”. The trial also heard evidence from Inspector David Callaghan who said that the first four garda interviews with Ms Harrington involved trying to obtain an account of the knowledge the accused possessed. I had no reason to taunt the child.” The twelfth juror was excused from the jury last week. Ms Harrington was asked if she ripped off the child’s clothes. She insisted she couldn’t harm anyone never mind a child. “It is the same colour as her hair. Karen told investigating gardaí that she felt sick looking at the images. “The evidence is all on me. I would never hurt a child. I would never hurt no one — never mind a child,” Ms Harrington said.

A pathologist told a murder trial she believed toddler Santina Cawley (2) had been forcibly struck against something rather than being struck with ...

"I don't know – honest to God, I don't know how to harm a child. Jesus Christ like – I am going to be sick." It is not that I won't (remember) – I can't. I really don't know." I have no recollection – I would not hurt her." "I wasn't taunting the child… "Oh God, I really don't know. "I would never, ever harm no baby. I have never hurt a child in my life. Extensive damage was done and the brain was swollen. "Oh Jesus Christ – it is making out like I did it. Santina was found lying naked on a dirty blanket with critical injuries at 26 Elderwood Park off the Boreenamanna Road in Cork city at 5am on July 5, 2019. "In my view these were not accidental.