Mother 'lied' over boy's injuries

The pair both denied causing or allowing Joshua's death

A mother whose boyfriend is accused of killing her two-year-old son deceived the authorities over weeks of abuse, a court has heard.

Joshua Jones, was found dead at the home of Nichola Bowman and Wayne Davenport in Tilbury Place, Runcorn, Cheshire, in November 2007.

Mr Davenport, 26, the partner of Nichola Bowman, 24, Joshua's mother, is accused of manslaughter.

At Chester Crown Court the pair both denied causing or allowing his death.

In hospital, doctors found bruises and marks on Joshua's body, including teeth marks matching Davenport's dentures, the court heard.

Almost two weeks before he was killed, Joshua was taken to hospital with a double break to his left arm.

Broken ribs

He also had bruises on his genitals, thighs, knees, back and arm.

Unbeknown to doctors at Warrington General Hospital he also had two fractured ribs which did not show up on an x-ray.

Chester Crown Court heard Ms Bowman, 24, blamed the broken arm on her mother Michelle Littlemore's partner John Deane.

Michael Chambers QC, prosecuting, said "alarm bells rang" with the authorities over Joshua's injuries.

"In this case there were all the signs typical of systematic child abuse," Mr Chambers said.

He was admitted to the hospital while the case was looked into.

Joshua was discharged six days later and allowed home with his mother.

"The doctors, social workers and the police involved had held a number of meetings," Mr Chambers said.

"They accepted at face value the explanations they were given.

"That clearly was the wrong decision.

"However, the prosecution do say that those who made that decision were to some extent deceived by the actions of Nichola Bowman and her family."

Black eyes

Mr Chambers said the arm fracture was explained as a result of Joshua being lifted by Mr Deane.

Mr Deane said he had thrown Joshua into the air by his hands and caught him round the waist.

He later told police he only said that so "as a family we could get Joshua out of hospital".

Weeks earlier, Joshua's biological father, Jason Jones, had seen two black eyes on his son.

Mr Chambers told the court that Ms Bowman "knew perfectly well what had been happening to him at the hands of the defendant Wayne Davenport - or at the very least ought to have known, yet did nothing to protect him."

The case continues.