Father accused of murdering his son, 2, TELLS court he heard a ‘thud’ and found the child on the floor

A father accused of murdering his two-year-old son has told a court that he found the child on the floor ‘after he collided with a coffee table’.

Daniel Hardcastle, 31, told a jury that he was in the kitchen in their home in Blackpool when he heard a ‘thud’ in another room on August 19 last year.

COURT HEARD

Preston Crown Court heard that he found his son Damion Russell lying face down next to the coffee table.

He searched ‘how to give CPR’ on YouTube after seeing ‘blood coming from his mouth’ before calling 999, the jury heard.

HOW HE DIED

Damion, who was in cardiac and respiratory arrest, was taken to Blackpool Victoria Hospital. He was later transferred to Manchester Children’s Hospital on life support but died two days later. 

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Damion had been removed from his mother by Lancashire and Blackpool Social Services and spent several months with foster parents before he was eventually placed in Hardcastle’s car, the court heard.

He was unaware he was the biological father.

Hardcastle, a tattoo artist, denies murder. 

The youngster has been in-and-out of hospitals as he was suffering from development delays.