Saturday, May 9, 2009

UP-DATE: ANNE MARIE ROONEY CASE; (PART THREE): TRIAL WINDING UP; HER PHOTO PUBLISHED FOR THE FIRST TIME; JUDGE TO SUM UP CASE TO JURY ON TUESDAY;



THISISGLOUCESTERSHIRE.COM;

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"As Anne-Marie Rooney's trial winds up, Thisisgloucestershire.com has published, what it says is the first picture of Ms. Rooney to emerge.

The story appears today under the heading: "Picture of mum accused of baby murder."

"THIS is the first picture of the Gloucester mother accused of murdering her baby boy," the story begins."

"Anne-Marie Rooney, 28, of Bristol Road, Quedgeley, is pictured as she left Truro Crown Court," the story continues;

Rooney, 28, has denied murdering eight-month-old Joseph at St Merryn, near Padstow, in Cornwall, in July 2007.

She has also denied a second charge of his manslaughter.

On Monday, prosecuting barrister Martin Meeke QC and defending barrister Maura McGowan QC will make their closing speeches after a three-week trail.

His Honour Judge Richard Field will sum up the case on Tuesday and the jury will be sent out to consider its verdict.

The Rooneys had travelled down to Cornwall along with friends some 22 months ago to look for temporary work and had parked their caravans at Trevisker Farm camp site.

But on the morning of July 1, baby Joe received fatal head, brain and neck injuries and was airlifted to Treliske Hospital in Truro, where he died the following day.

The prosecution maintained that the injuries were caused by the defendant shaking her baby violently, but the defence said the injuries were caused by the child falling headfirst from a bed onto the hard, linoleum floor of their trailer.

Both prosecution and defence counsel called some of the country's leading medical experts to support their claims.

And Anne-Marie Rooney took the stand at the beginning of last week when she stressed that she would never hurt baby Joe. The mum will learn her fate next week."


Harold Levy...hlevy15@gmail.com;