A mum whose son was killed by her boyfriend did “nothing to protect him” and tried to blame the toddler’s father for some of his injuries, a court has been told.

Tamika Beaton, 25, put “her own interests” before those of 18-month-old Andrew Cawker, with “catastrophic” consequences, an Old Bailey trial heard on Tuesday.

Andrew was repeatedly attacked by Beaton’s partner, 24-year-old Scott Coombe, in the months before his death on July 22 2019, jurors heard.

The toddler never regained consciousness after being vigorously shaken and hitting his head on the floor after being thrown when Coombe become “irritated” while caring for him, prosecutors say.

Coombe has admitted manslaughter, child cruelty and assaulting the toddler on three occasions, jurors were told.

Beaton denies wilfully ill-treating or neglecting Andrew in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or cause injury to his health.

She is not accused of hurting him herself – but of failing to protect him, jurors heard.

Coombe called 999 after attacking the toddler on July 9 2019 and claimed the child started “looking a bit stiff” and collapsed while playing, the court heard.

Andrew was taken to hospital but his injuries were so severe he never woke up.

Opening the case against Beaton, prosecutor Sally O’Neill KC said: “On July 9 2019, a 999 call was made to the emergency services by a man called Scott Coombe.

“Scott Coombe was at that stage in a relationship with the defendant, Tamika Beaton, and was looking after her (child), Andrew Cawker, aged 18 months.

“He told the emergency operator, ‘It’s my one-and-a-half-year-old stepson. He was just playing, then he started looking a bit stiff and then he collapsed in front of me and he’s not woken up for 10 to 15 minutes’.

“This was a lie. Scott Coombe has pleaded guilty to manslaughter, which is unlawfully killing Andrew.

“He has done so on the basis that he became irritated with him and picked him up by grabbing his upper arms and, in a moment of anger and frustration, shook him vigorously backwards and forwards briefly and then threw him backwards.

“Andrew’s shoulder area hit the floor and his head fell back and bounced as it hit the floor.

“Andrew immediately became unconscious and Scott Coombe tried to revive him, was unable to do so, which was when he called 999.”

Ms O’Neill added: “As far as this case is concerned, the case against Tamika Beaton is that between January 7 2019 and the July 9 2019, she wilfully ill-treated or neglected Andrew in a manner likely to cause him unnecessary suffering or cause injury to his health by failing to prevent Andrew from being injured whilst in the care of Scott Coombe, by continuing to leave Andrew in the care of Scott Coombe and by failing to notify the social services of the injuries he was receiving whilst in the care of Scott Coombe.

“In short, it amounts to this: it was apparent to Tamika Beaton that Andrew was receiving unexplained injuries whilst in Scott Coombe’s care.

“She and Andrew’s father, Ben Cawker, who saw him regularly, took photos of the injuries and even on one occasion took him to the doctors for his blood to be tested in case he was prone to easy bruising. He wasn’t.

“His bruises were as a result of being assaulted by Scott Coombe and it must have been obvious to Tamika Beaton that it was Scott Coombe who was doing it.

“Not only did she do nothing to protect Andrew from being injured by Scott Coombe, she tried to cover up the injuries by blaming Ben Cawker, his father, for causing them.

“There are many texts in this case which the Crown say illustrate her knowledge of what was going on and her deliberate refusal to tell social services about it because she knew that if she did, the result would be that either Scott Coombe would have to leave the home or (Andrew) would be taken into care.

“She was putting her own interests before those of Andrew – with the most catastrophic consequences for Andrew.

“The injuries caused to him by Scott Coombe on July 9 2019 were so severe that he never regained consciousness and he died from his injuries on July 22 2019.

“On the night this happened, she had gone to a dance class, leaving Scott Coombe in charge of (Andrew), knowing that he had done a full day’s work as a postman.

“He was willing to look after (Andrew) but the risks of allowing him to do so must have been obvious to Tamika Beaton and she chose to disregard them as she had done on a number of previous occasions.”

Beaton, from Peckham, south London, sat in the dock dressed in black throughout the hearing.

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