London paramedic denies murdering his baby son

A London paramedic has denied murdering his son who died from a brain injury.

Three-month-old Charlie Gibbs died in the same hospital where his twin sister was being treated for a chest illness, an Old Bailey jury heard.

After Charlie's death, doctors found the girl also had injuries inflicted on two occasions.

Gavin Gibbs, 41, of Erith, south-east London, denies the boy's murder and causing grievous bodily harm to the twins in 2008.

Prosecuting, Richard Whittam QC told the court the boy was placed on a ventilator but was found to be brain stem dead.

After the ventilator was disconnected, a consultant paediatrician overheard his father whisper: "Please forgive me", he said.

Mr Whittam said the baby's twin sister had been admitted to Queen Mary's Hospital in Sidcup on 23 October 2008, suffering from a chest condition. Her mother, Jo, stayed with her.

At 2241 GMT, Gibbs rang the emergency services after being left to care for Charlie on his own.

"In that call, Gavin Gibbs said that Charlie had stopped breathing. The position was clearly serious.

"He was trained as an ambulance technician and he needed help," said Mr Whittam.

Charlie had suffered injuries from attacks which could have happened on four occasions, the court heard.

He was found to have a fractured skull and fractured upper arm from when he was two months old.

Two fractures on his left leg, as the result of pulling or twisting, were two weeks or less old, the jury was told.

Mr Whittam said the twin girl was found to have four rib injuries. One was six weeks old and the others two to four weeks old.

Mr Whittam said both of Charlie's parents worked for the London Ambulance Service. His mother worked at the control centre in Waterloo.

Mrs Gibbs told the court her husband had claimed on one occasion Charlie had fallen off the sofa when she was at the hairdressers.