A man has pleaded guilty to killing a baby and harming another after neglecting their basic needs for at least a day.
Andrew William Campbell, 45, was today due to face the start of a seven-day trial in Queensland Supreme Court.
He instead pleaded guilty to the manslaughter of eight-month-old Dexter Wilton before fleeing media waiting outside court ahead of sentencing.
Dexter’s mother, Natalie Jade Whitehead, 38, pleaded guilty in October to manslaughter, neglect and failing to provide necessities of life over the baby boy’s death.
“The hours preceding death would have been extremely distressing both physically and emotionally,” crown prosecutor Matt Le Grand told Justice Catherine Muir at the time.
Paramedics found Dexter’s body inside a property at Raceview in Ipswich on June 21, 2019.
Campbell allegedly lived in the house when the child died.
When asked in court today for his plea over the manslaughter of Dexter, Campbell said: “Guilty, Your Honour.”
Campbell also pleaded guilty to a negligent act causing harm and failing to provide the necessities to another baby on an unknown date between June 16 and 22, 2019.
Le Grand told Justice Glenn Martin that Campbell’s one count of interfering with a corpse would be subject to “nolle prosequi”, meaning the prosecution would not continue with the charge.
Defence barrister Damian Walsh told Justice Martin he did not wish to proceed to sentencing today.
“I’ll be getting some psychological material placed before the court,” Walsh said.
He sought for Campbell’s bail to continue and Le Grand did not oppose the application.
Justice Martin ordered for the matter to face a review of the psychological evidence on March 26 and continued his bail.
Whitehead in October was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment, but will be eligible for parole in June due to her three years and nine months already spent in custody.
