James Hunte, the father of the infant who died after being used as a shield during a violent confrontation between his parents was on Friday charged with murder.
A senior police official said yesterday that Hunte, 37, appeared in the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court and was remanded to prison until April 24.
It was explained that following a post-mortem examination last Friday, a file the police had already prepared was taken to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.
The DPP later that day recommended that he be charged with the capital offence.
It is alleged that last Tuesday at Le Ressouvenir, East Coast Demerara, Hunte murdered his two-month-old son Andy.
The child died while undergoing emergency surgery at the Georgetown Public Hospital. Hospital officials said he was unconscious at the time he was presented with a gaping wound to his forehead and lacerations to his tiny frame.
He was taken to the facility by his father, who told hospital officials that the mother of the baby had tried to hit him while he had the child in his arms but he shielded himself and the baby was hit in the process. However, when the infant’s mother was arrested, she informed the police that it was the father who was hitting her during a fight and served the fatal blow to the baby.
The father was later arrested by police while the mother was released.
The post-mortem examination revealed that the infant died as a result of a fractured skull.
