Saturday, March 16, 2024 – A British mother accused of murdering her three-year-old son has sacked hepr legal team after giving evidence during trial.
Christina Robinson is standing trial at Newcastle Crown
Court accused of burning, caning and killing her son, Dwelaniyah, at their home
in County Durham. She denies murder and child cruelty.
Robinson gave evidence on Wednesday and Thursday denying
shaking the youngster to death or deliberately burning him by putting him in
scalding water.
According to Mail Online, the case was due to move onto the
next stage on Friday but it didn't happen after she decided to dismiss the
services of her barristers and solicitors.
Trial judge Mr Justice Garnham, who allowed Robinson to sit
where her barrister had been sitting, along with a dock officer, told the jury:
'There's been a development which has delayed us which I need to tell you
about.
'Ms Robinson has decided to dispense with the services of
her barristers and solicitors. She's entitled to do that.
'Nobody is required to have a legal team representing them
or have a particular legal team representing them. She decided to sack,
effectively, her solicitors and barristers."
'The question arises about how we proceed without them being
here. We've decided she should have the rest of the day to consider her
position and consult with other people if she wishes before we go to the next
stage of the case. It means we can do nothing further today.'
Robinson, 30, is accused of killing Dwelaniyah at the family home at Bracken Court, Ushaw Moor, Durham, in November 2022.
The defendant, who is a follower of the Black Hebrew
Israelites religion, told the jury that prior to his death, she hit him with a
bamboo garden cane as a 'correction' for playing with his food.
She explained she was following a YouTube video about the
religion which talked about the Bible encouraging the use of the rod for
discipline. But she has denied violently shaking him, causing a fatal brain
injury, claiming he collapsed while eating.
She is also accused of deliberately scalding the little
boy's legs and buttocks in extremely hot water as a punishment for soiling
himself, around three weeks before his death.
Robinson, originally from Tamworth, Staffordshire, has told
jurors that the boy was accidentally burned while she washed him in the shower.
The trial continues.
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