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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