THE wife of a paramedic accused of murdering their three-month-old son has been giving her evidence at his trial.
Gavin Gibbs, of Brook Vale, Northumberland Heath, is charged with murdering his son Charlie and causing him GBH with intent, and with causing GBH with intent to Charlie's twin sister.
He denies all the charges.
Jurors have heard in his short life Charlie suffered a fractured skull and a fracture to his upper arm.
He also suffered a fractured rib and fractures to his leg.
Charlie's twin sister was also found to have a number of broken ribs.
The Old Bailey was told that in the early hours of October 6, 2008, Gibbs was feeding Charlie while his wife Jo put their daughter to bed upstairs.
When she returned, Gibbs told her he had been forced to grab Charlie by the arm to stop the baby falling from his lap.
But it was not until the afternoon of October 7 that Charlie was taken to hospital, where an X-ray revealed he had a fracture to his upper arm.
The jury heard Gibbs told a number of the hospital staff the accident had happened that day, and not the day before.
His wife had not corrected that information.
When asked by prosecuting barrister Richard Whittam if she had corrected it, Mrs Gibbs said: "No, because I thought they would take away my children.
"I thought they would think I was a bad mother, because I had been out shopping and I didn't know my baby had a broken arm."
The court was also told on another occasion on October 3, 2008, Mrs Gibbs had gone to the hairdresser and then went shopping, while her husband took care of the children.
During that time, it appeared Charlie's skull had been fractured.
It was not until December last year Gibbs admitted to his wife that while she had been out on that occasion Charlie had fallen off a sofa.
On October 23, 2008, Mrs Gibbs took their daughter to hospital suffering from bronchiolitis.
Gibbs remained at home with their son.
At 10.40pm Gibbs called an ambulance to their home where paramedics found Charlie lying on the changing table and Gibbs was ventilating him with a bag and mask.
Gibbs claimed he had propped up Charlie on the settee with pillows, while he went to the kitchen to get a drink.
When he returned the baby was slumped with his head down and was not breathing.
Charlie was taken to King's College Hospital but two days later, on October 25, he was declared brain dead and his ventilator was turned off.
The court was told as Charlie was handed to his parents, Gibbs was heard to whisper: "Please forgive me."
The trial continues.
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